Momonga Plus One
by ThanatosUpbringing
Summary: [ON HIATUS] Momonga had an extra guildmate logged in, on the last day of Yggdrasil. This is their adventures together in the new world, and how would the guild mate's presence change the course of the story. [ON HIATUS]
1. Prologue

[edited : 2 June 2016 for suffixes]

It's the day the server was going to shut down.

The last day of Yggdrasil being in service. No matter how many times he told himself this was the last day, a part of him couldn't quite accept it. After years of work. Well, if you told anyone else this was work you'd probably get a weird look, wondering how this dmmorpg ever some kind of "work", but the blood, sweat and tears that went into it, to him it was a labour of love.

11.55pm.

Another 5 more minutes to go. He sat at the throne room, with the NPCs gathered before him. He mentally named all 42 members of Ainz Ooal Gown. His emails to the guild members only brought a few back with him. Now it was just him alone, with his lifeless NPCs.

"Ping".

'Wololo has logged in.'

Momonga always found the notification sound of a fellow guild member logging in brings a strange sense of familiarity and joy. The sounds of all the adventures they would go together.

"Momonga-san, you're still here!" Wololo messaged.

"Come to the throne room."

"Yes boss." Wololo ported into the throne room. "Sorry took so long. The server seemed pretty busy with the whole shutdown. "

Momonga smiled, though his skeletal face revealed none of it. He emoted a smiley, and spoke, "No matter. It's good to have you spend these last moments of the guild together with me, and with this place."

A small squirrel hopped into the throne room. Small, but its hops were vast, and in no time it was next to Momonga.

"Squirrel this time? Couldn't you pick something more menacing befitting our evil theme?"

"Nobody expects the squirrel."

Momonga chuckled. Wololo was a roleplayer like himself, a druid/beastmaster with a penchant for transforming into cute little animals, or menacing monsters, depending on where his mood blows that day.

11.59.59pm

"This is it. It's been great."

"So it has."

12.00.01.

12.00.02

12.00.03

"EH?!" Both Momonga and Wololo exclaimed simultaneously.

They looked at each other, and Momonga asked.

"What's going on? I can't get the GM! The console isn't activating either."

"Is it? Let me try!" The squirrel's tiny paw tried to seemed to try grasping something in the air.

"Uh... me neither."

"Is something wrong, Momonga-sama? Is there something I can do?" Both the elder lich and the squirrel turned and stared at the winged succubus, Albedo.

"Did you just talk?" Both the supreme beings said in unison.

"Is something wrong, Momonga-sama, Wololo-sama? Is it something I said?" She spoke again, and their voice took a while to get into their heads. Both of them knew NPCs had no voiceovers, so hearing Albedo speak was a shock.

"Touch her."

"Wait. Why?"Momonga wondered a while, but did it anyway. He grasped Albedo's slim wrists, and felt a pulse in her arm. "She's alive?"

Albedo smiled, "Is there something wrong?"

"Touch her boobs. R18 acts should give you a forced log-out." Wololo the squirrel commented. He sounded a little squeeky, speaking with the voice of a tiny animal.

Momonga resisted a while, but he then asked her for permission anyway. She nodded, and he reached her skeletal palms and groped her.

Nothing happened.

Albedo squirmed in pleasure, and asked excitedly, "Am I getting my first today, Momonga-sama? What should I do with my clothes? If wololo-sama wants to watch I'm okay with it too."

Momonga has a shiver run down his spine, and regreted his last minute amendment to Albedo's character sheet. He wondered how he would ever face her creator, and oh the shame. The shame... An imaginary sweat ran down his head, but then he snapped out of it, the panic suppressed by his undead attributes.

"Sebas!"

The butler stepped out of his line, bowed and answered, "Yes Momonga-sama".

"Survey the surroundings! Be careful, and take the maids to accompany you." He bowed, and left, together with the Plaides.

"How about me?"Albedo asked.

"Gather all the guardians except Level 4 and Level 8 and meet me at the Coliseum in Level 6 in 2 hours."

She too bowed and left. In both their minds, the guardians seemed all too real.

The throne room was now left with Momonga-san and Wololo-san.

"What do we do now? What do you think is going on?" Momonga wondered, taking a look at his fellow guildmate. He touched his guild-staff, and looked at his teleportation ring, wondering whether it still works.

"You know, this is like those fiction stories where people get transported into a new world."

"Well, you sure can put it that way. Do you think our magic still works?"

"I've read enough erotic harem manga to know that it should still work." The squirrel glowed green, and the glow slowly expanded into the shape of a humanoid creature, with the head of a wolf. "See." He looked like a werewolf, his fur as black as Momonga's cape. No taller than Momonga, he wore a dark-silverish platemail, engraved with various tiny carvings similar to those found on old roman ruins. His muscular arms are filled with various scars, and had short black claws.

"We should still test it out. Let's use the ring and go to level 6."

"Why not."

A short flash later, both of them were at the Coliseum, and both Aura and Mare soon came to greet them. The 2 dark elfs wondered what brought the guildmaster here, and looked at them quizzically.

"We'd like to... train."

"Momonga-sama, why do supreme beings with such immense powers as yourself need to train?"

"I'd like to test out the Staff's powers. Bring out some monsters. Bring out something slow for Wololo-san." Both of them smiled excitedly, thinking it's their lucky day that they get to watch both supreme beings in action.

The beast didn't last long before Momonga, as his fireball went out smoothly, as he predicted.

Wololo looked at himself, and then at the beast Aura brought out before him. He sighed, "I don't have as many offensive spells as you do. " He reached for the hammer at his back, and grabbed it tightly. "Massive enchant weapon". The hammer glowed yellow and he jumped onto the beast, and;

'Splat.' The lvl 30 beast pulverised.

Wololo's build was more on the trading/defensive aspects of Yggdrasil. His special class "dungeon keeper" boosted the maximum level of NPCs the base could take by 300, so Nazarick had 3050 instead of 2750 (but each dungeon could only get this bonus once). Still, being level 100, he had enough stats and high grade equipment to crush monsters or the level 30 beast that Aura brought out. But often he had to engage in raids with NPC mercenaries that he created, as he himself couldn't handle Lvl 90+ monsters with his regular equipment as he didn't go specialise in the warrior build.

Wololo tried to recall his character's build...

Wololo – Lvl 100 shapeshifter (originally a werewolf)

Lvl 5 dungeon keeper

Lvl 10 zoo keeper / beastmaster

Lvl 15 druid

Lvl 5 master smith

Lvl 10 smith

Lvl 15 warrior

Lvl 5 merchant

Lvl 5 master shapeshifter

Level 5 master enchanter

Others – 25 lvls.

He built it in such a way that he had utility to the guild as a whole, whilst his passive meant his extra NPC levels were financially self sufficient. He wondered how gold worked in this world, or what happened to his custom NPCs.

Albedo appeared, with the rest of the guardians, cutting off Wololo's train of thought.

The guardians introduced themselves.

"Shalltear Bloodfallen, guardian of Level 1 to 3. At your service."

"Cocytus, guardian of Level 5. At your service."

"Aura Bella Fiora, Mare Bello Fiore, joint guardians of level 6. At your service."

"Demiurge, guardian of Level 7. At your service."

"Sebas Tian. At your service."

"Albedo, Overseer of the Guardians. At your service."

Whilst Momonga was deep in thought at their pledges of loyalty, he unconsciously activated his passive aura. Momonga's oppressive Despair Aura V seemed like a thick blanket of smog that covered the entire coliseum.

"Raise your heads. Now, anyone has any idea what is going on? Notice anything unusual in your levels?" Momonga asked, remembering Wololo standing next to him. Wololo on the other hand was just overjoyed and hearing all the guardians speak for the first time, and wondered how are the voices of his NPCs.

Shalltear started

"Everything is fine on my levels, Momonga-sama."

"Same here." Cocytus added.

"Nothing unusual here too." Demiurge too, spoke.

"No unusual reports throughout Nazarick." Albedo then summarised.

"Sebas, share your findings of the world above.". The butler bowed at the elder lich's command, and started explaining at length about how they were no longer in a swamp, but is now surrounded by vast grasslands, with mostly harmless creatures around them.

"Are they familiar creatures?" Wololo interjected, snapping out of his fascination at the NPCs voices. He was wondering how the maids would sound.

"No, Wololo-sama. They have not been seen before."

"We are in unfamiliar territory. Guardians, please take utmost caution, and raise the defense systems by one level. Capture any intruders that may have information of the world we are now in." Momonga sighed. He knew nothing of this world, and he'd probably need to do more to find out.

"Don't worry Momonga-san. I'm here with you."

"That's true, but no harm being careful. Aura and Mare, please conceal the tomb." Albedo was about to interject before Momonga glanced at her, mentally telling her to shut it. She understood the message. The 2 dark elves obliged.

"Alright, dismissed." Then Momonga wondered what the Guardians thought of him. Of them. "Oh, before that, what do you think of us? Of me?"

Shalltear started, "You are an incarnation of beauty, Momonga-sama. Wololo-san is the incarnation of craftsmanship."

Cocytus spoke. "One . Who . Is . Stronger . Than . All . The . Guardians."

Then he looked at Wololo, and said, " One . Who . Makes . The . Finest . Equipment . In . The . World."

It was Aura's turn. "A merciful leader."

And at Wololo. "A cute squirrel." He chucked a little, but realised he may have offended a supreme being and bowed. "I'm sorry Wololo-sama." Wololo waved, saying it's nothing. Inside, he was super excited that people remember the squirrel.

Mare spoke of Momonga, "A gentle person.", and of Wololo "A quiet thinker."

Demiurge smiled, "Momonga-san is a wise leader who makes great decisions. Wololo-san is the master builder and maker. His tools of torments are beyond genius." Wololo chuckled, wondering whether it was the guillotine trap he made in Level 7 Demiurge was referring to.

Sebas continued. "The one responsible for leading the supreme beings, and the one who stayed with us till the end." He then bowed towards Wololo, and said, "The builder."

Finally, Albedo, "The man who rules over the Supreme Beings, and our highest, most exalted master. In addition, the man I love most deeply."And she turned at Wololo. "The wolf... of wall street?" Wololo wondered what was that reference. Then realised it had to do with his Lvl 5 banker status. He was barely seen by Albedo, as his traps and equipment was mostly for the lower floors as they needed them more to ward off invaders.

"Alright, dismissed." Both Momonga and Wololo teleported back to the throne room, leaving the guardians at awe of Momonga's immensely oppressive aura. Wololo on the other hand was the less visible of the 2, but Cocytus, who was most familiar with Wololo's curious ways, knew he probably liked it that way best.

Back in the throne room, Wololo smiled at Momonga, revealing his canine teeth.

"That went supremely well, Momonga-san."

"You think? What do you make of our situation?"

"Well... we both have nothing to lose, do we?" He smiled again, realised they were both quintessential otakus that devoted countless hours to Yggrassil back in the day. Though Wololo has since moved on to other games as participation from other members declined, he answered Momonga's call.

"The guardians sure think very highly of me." The lament had a tinge of ranting in it. "I wonder why..."

"Don't worry. You're the guild leader. It comes with the title." Wololo wanted to do a smiley [ ;) ] at that time, but decided to just act it out with his wolfish features instead.

"Yea, I hope I can live up to them. What do you think. It's been 3 hours since it lapsed, but still no news from the GM. I tried messaging everyone but I got no answer."

"Well, I'm pretty excited. If this really is a new world, we should make the most out of it. Oh ya. I wonder how my NPCs sound like! I've been thinking about that the whole time since we met the guardians."

Momonga chuckled, remembering he was speaking to one of the few guildmembers who laboriously toiled at getting the look of their NPCs right. "Well, go and see them. They should be in Level 9. I didn't move them since you left them there."

"Alright. I'll go and look at my room too." Wololo bowed at his guildmaster. "Message me when you've got something up. Maybe we can go check out the outside world together." He vanished after he tapped the Ring of Ainz Ooal Gown lightly.

Momonga laughed. "Yeah. At least I'm not alone in this."

END

Writer's note :

Man. It's been 10 years since I last published anything on fanfiction. I hope my english improved! :)


	2. Chapter 1

[Note : I intend for some scenes to refer back to the original light novel, so that I don't have to go through retyping them. Also, many thanks for the reviews and points for improvement. Will fix the -san/-sama suffix use in the future. Note on 2 June 2016 - updated some inconsistencies compared to canon. Thanks to random-reviewer for highlighting. So the part on brute-forcing the rooms were amended.]

To some people, the Level 9, the leisure and facilities area is one of the most beautiful of the floors in Nazarick. It took the combined efforts of the Supreme Beings to design the various baths and springs, the rest areas, the dining halls, all of which needed many, many hours of dedication from the players who held professional work outside of Yggdrasil.

Its' beautiful, but there was a problem. Wololo forgot where his room was.

As much as the game permitted customisation, they was no name tagging each of the rooms. Perhaps they assumed everyone will remember where their rooms are. So he planned to take the brute force approach.

And so Wololo was to walk all the rooms and stumbled into each and every different room before he soon found his room on the 20th door.

All the rooms are massive, befitting their status as supreme beings of Nazarick. Each room could be further customised by each inhabitants, in the way they saw fit. Wololo's unit came with a small bedroom, a work area for his smithing/enchantment work, complete with multiple furnaces, anvils, and tools hung on 3 rows of cabinents. There was also an area with various charts and graphs, where Wololo used to keep track of prices of raw materials for his equipment, and also the prices of equipment to sell his wares. Between them, there's a big black box, a magical item used for stockpiling crafting material. As far as he recalls, it could store some 2000 units (he spent a fair bit of cash to buy extra slots to expand it from the base 500 slots).

On the other side of the work areas were rows of books and large cabinets where blueprints were kept. The blueprints came in all shapes and sizes, some were rolled up to look like scrolls, some neatly organised and stored in various folders and files. Blueprints were mostly used to create higher level equipments, and larger structures like player-made buildings or faction weapons used when Yggdrasil had multi-guild events.

"Welcome home, Wololo-sama." A sultry voice spoke out. Wololo turned to face the floating fairy, and chuckled.

"You sound a lot sexier than I thought you'd be, Lida." The fairy had a faint purple glow around her, a sweet looking face based off a Japanese idol that he idolised, eyes with purple irises and flowing shoulder length dark hair that. It was the"Office-Lady" look.

A black jacket, black knee length skirt, and a buttoned white shirt, with a button that seemed like it was going to burst from the fairy's breasts pushing against it. It also revealed a lovely cleavage, and gave a tiny peek of the bra's edges underneath the shirt. "And as sexy as I imagined you too be." It was one of Wololo's many fetishes.

Lida blushed, her light purple cheeks turned a little darker. "Thank you for the compliments, Wololo-sama." That said, her looks did fit her main role, as she's mainly Wololo's assistant at work, organising and sorting through his wares and goods, and used to help arrange for the sales and collection of his wares, and their delivery to the marketplace. "What would you be making today, Wololo-sama?"

He wondered about that for a moment, but he was soon messaged by Momonga-sama.

"I'm going outside, come."

"Not today, my dear Lida." He grinned, and gestured her to stay in the room.

"I'll be waiting for your orders, Wololo-sama"

…

…

It's already night, and Wololo had never seen clearer star-filled skies, a far cry from the dark, murky swamp the tomb used to be in, or the foggy skies of Yggdrasil. Stars seemed to stretch from horizon to horizon, and there seemed to be a milky strip along where most of the stars seemed to gather. Momonga (for some reason, he was in some dark heavy armor) and Demiurge was already up there, taking in the view of the many stars.

Wololo transformed into a massive eagle, about the size of 2 humans upright, and flew up to join them. They were already in conversation…

"It's beautiful, isn't it? This world glitters like a box of jewels."

"Indeed. I believe the beauty of this world exists to adorn you, Dark Warrior-sama."

Wololo chuckled. Momonga must've been in some kind of disguise. "Indeed, it is beautiful. You say these stars exist to adorn me? No, no. Perhaps the jewels of this world are meant to adorn the great tomb of Nazarick, and the guild of Ainz Ooal Gown."

"If you willed it, all of Nazarick will seize that jewel box for you, Momo-Dark Warrior-sama. We would give our all to serve you and Ainz Ooal Gown" Demiurge said, with a slight bow, his right arm to his chest.

"That's an interesting proposition to seize this world, certainly worth thinking about… But so long as we know nothing of this world, it's probably a foolish idea." Momonga wondered, and noticed the eagle that's now beside them, flapping it's wings. "Ah Wololo-san, you are here. What do you think?"

The eagle's head turned and looked around, "A fascinating new world indeed." Momonga's conversation flew over his head, as he'd be mesmerised by the night sky and the stars, wondering whether this new world shared any similar star constellations.

Momonga mentally had a sweat roll down his forehead, remembering that Wololo has an occasional tendency of absent-mindedness, and on adventures he used to have to pull Wololo aside to remind him to give 100% presence during the activities.

"Ah. Do you think we are the only ones here?" Wololo mused over the question a while. Last night he tried messaging all the members of the guild, and Momonga being the guild leader probably would have done so too. It was futile though, no better than shooting arrows into the dark and hoping it'll hit a rabbit.

"I don't know… but we should find out… discreetly."

"As long as the world hears of the name Ainz Ooal Gown, they will know it is us…." Momonga looked over to Nazarick, and saw waves and waves of earth being moved, and the walls of Nazarick was soon hidden behind them. Impressed, Momonga then turned over to Demiurge and Wololo, "I'd like go check out how the twins are doing with the camouflage. I'd like to reward them for doing a good job." And the three flew over to the 2 hardworking dark elves...

…

…

The next day, back in the throne room...

"It's a good idea to give the rings to the guardians." Wololo, now back in squirrel form mused to Momonga, while he watches him use the Mirror of Remote Viewing.

"Yea, they used to just have to sit at their floors and wait for invaders. Now I need them to be mobile." Momonga waved and the view zoomed out.

"I'm planning to fly around the area after this. It's probably better to head to nearby towns or cities to get a sense of what's going on." Wololo opined, whilst pointing a finger at the mirror, thinking he saw something. "Oh! Oh! I think there's a village..."

Momonga then zoomed in to the village, and sensed something amiss over what he saw.

There were people running.

"Is that a festival?"

It was Sebas, the third person in the room, earlier lectured Momonga for trying to sneak out, now stationed himself near Momonga to keep watch over him. He could not permit Supreme beings wandering about without protection, especially without a clue of the strength of others in this new world.

"No, that's not a festival." Closer observation of the villagers revealed they were screaming, their faces panicked, and bleeding on many of them. Some were even lying on the ground, probably dead.

"Should we do something, Momonga-sama?"

"No. There's no value in it." Momonga replied to Sebas, but somehow seemed to see a silhouette of Touch-Me-sama around him. Then he remembered the days when they were first starting off, and being heteromorphs they were frequently targeted by human players, and it was Touch-Me-sama that saved him and soon brought him into the fold of Ainz Ooal Gown.

"Sebas, I've changed my mind. I'm heading out. Ask Albedo who's next door to come on later fully armed. Don't bring Ginnungagap. Prepare some support units with invisibility or stealth too." Momonga commanded, and soon teleported away.

Wololo transformed himself into a middle aged human, turned to Sebas and smiled. "You shouldn't worry too much, Sebas. Momonga-san has always cautious, and won't let himself get into trouble. I'm sure he has mentally worked out the odds."

Sebas bowed and left to inform Albedo and prepare the support team. Wololo took the chance to use the Mirror of Remote Viewing. After about 3 hours of searching, and no SOS from Momonga, he decided he too should head out.

[Message]: "Momonga-san, I'm headed out too. I'll let you know what I find later."

Momonga replied: "The knights I see at this village seem harmless so far, but please be careful."

Wololo smiled, and then casted his teleportation spell. [Gate]

…

…

After their brief escapade to the outdoors of Nazarick with Momonga and Demiurge, Wololo went back to his room to rest. Unlike Momonga's undead form that did not require sleep, Wololo still could take naps, and found it rather pleasurable. After all the surprises this new world has offered, a short nap to consolidate his thoughts and rest his mind would be good. Lying on his large king size bed, questions kept popping in his head.

Is this world similar to Yggdrasil?

How could he best gather information in this new world?

How does money work? What's the currency and how are they valued?

How could he use his skills to gather information?

What should they aim to do in this new world?

He couldn't quite answer all of them, but eventually he fell asleep anyway.

[Gate]

The place he landed at was covered in collapsed buildings, some of them had only columns left standing, and rubbles small and large all strewn over the ground. A scene out of the stereotypical ruins of an ancient civilization, and also happens to be the Old City of E-Puspel.

Wololo transformed into a small pigeon, for a better view of the surroundings. Up in the air, he noticed what looked like an actual city, and flew towards it, the New Town of E-Puspel. E-Puspel had 2 layers of fortification, and located between E-Rantel and the capital of Re-Estize, it served as the second line of defense of the Kingdom, in the event of an invasion. As such, it has seen its'own share of battles in the past, though much less in recent times, since the Empire and the Kingdom started agreeing a venue for their annual war. Now, its beautifully peaceful, and only the ruins of the Old City remains as a remnant of the wars 200 years ago.

Wololo spent his time as a pigeon perched over shop signs, eavesdropping on the conversations of the citizens. Most conversations are petty and generally banter and gossip, but placing himself near shops and taverns he could observe what was bought and sold, and what were their prices. When he wanted to head indoors he morphed into a mouse, and hid under the tables or in between the cabinets.

It wasn't long before he found out about the existence of guilds, of merchants, or adventurers. As a mouse he snuck into the offices of the town's leaders, and got a look of various maps and overhead their conversations. He didn't understand the letters or characters, but tried to follow after the leaders. For this, he transformed himself into a small flea and hid themselves in their hair.

Taking the form of various animals and critters, sneaking into various buildings and stalking what they did, a week soon passed.

"Wololo-san, how are you doing? I've managed to get some information off the chief of Carne Village that I saved earlier, and from some warrior I rescued from death, and I'd like to share it with you and Albedo." Momonga's message surprised the little squirrel hiding on the top of window, and he fell onto a flower vase below.

"Ouch."

"Wololo-san?"

"Sorry, was sneaking around and fell. I'll come back now."

He made a small circular motion with his tiny mouse paws, casted [Gate] and was soon right outside Nazarick's entrance.

Back in the Throne Room, Albedo, Wololo (in wolf-form) and Momonga looked at the map that Momonga obtained and Momonga soon went on sharing what he knew of this new world.

"Seems like none of them match anything we know of Yggdrasil, and they do not correlate to any existing Norse mythology on which the game was based off."

"From my eavesdropping in E-Puspel, this region is dominated by the 3 human nations, the Kingdom of Re-Estize, the Empire of Baharuth and the Slane Theocracy. Seems like the Slane Theocracy is the most militarily capable of the three."

"Yes thats what we heard as well, we had a little brush with the Slane Theocracy earlier. They used a Dominion of Authority against us as their trump card."

"Ah... But it is no match for Ainz-sama.." Albedo remarked proudly.

"Ainz-sama?" Wololo reacted quizzically.

"Yes yes about that. I plan to change my name to Ainz Ooal Gown to get the name out. If the world hears of Ainz Ooal Gown, it surely will reach the ears of our guildmates. And they will then come look for us. Do you object to that?"

"No objections, Ainz-san. For the guild master to take the guild name as your own is understandable, even admirable. How do you propose to move ahead after this? Send the guardians out to survey the surroundings?"

"Indeed, I plan to join the adventurers' guild, and I will have Narbarel accompany me, that's the first step in our journey. I will make the name of Ainz Ooal Gown known all over the world. If any of our fellow guildmates came to this world, once they hear of the name they will come to us." At that very moment Albedo had thoughts of torturing Narbarel, wondering why she was selected over herself, the wife of Ainz-sama.

"But yes, we first intend to use the adventurers' guild to extract more information about this world. It'll almost be like we are starting a whole new adventure again... Maybe you should do something like that too."

"Yeah, the capital of Re-Estize has a craftsmans' and a merchants' association, and I plan to head there and make a advance base of operations there for us."

"Oh. The warrior captain we rescued earlier in Carne village was part of the Kingdom of Re-Estize. Gazef Stronoff if I remember correctly."

"I'll keep that name in mind. Please excuse me, Ainz-san. I will go pack some necessities for the trip." Wololo then tapped his Ring of Ainz Ooal Gown, and vanished from the view of the elder lich and his companion.

"Please distribute the maps to the rest of the guardians, and have them work out a plan to gather information from the nearby towns and cities." There was a look of worry on Albedo's face. "What is it, Albedo?"

"Ainz-sama… Is it really fine to let Wololo-sama just head out on his own, right into the capital city? He too is, one of the Supreme Beings of Nazarick and the guardians would not want to let him out of their sights. Won't it expose him to enemies? Can't we send Sebas to him?"

"He'll be fine. He's a master shapeshifter."

"But Ainz-sama, what if the enemy has unusually powerful equipment or items that could detect him? It is the capital of the Kingdom of Re-Estize after all."

"Don't worry about it, Albedo. He's not reckless… usually. Anyway, if you are worried, arrange it such that Sebas's route will eventually head to the capital, and meet up with Wololo-san there. "

"Yes, Ainz-sama." Albedo bowed, not daring to challenge her master further. Ainz, though he told Albedo to not worry about it, did feel a little worry now, that they are indeed in unfamiliar territory, and perhaps someone, or something, could threaten them. Though he had great faith in Wololo's ability to handle himself in unfamiliar surroundings, there was a gnawing feeling that maybe they should be a little more careful.

But he decided against it. _Wololo will be fine._

"Albedo, gather everyone in the throne hall. I'd like to announce the change in name, and our new direction to the entirety of Nazarick. I will leave the details to you."

"As you command, Ainz-sama."

…

…

 _A few days later_

…

He had heard from Albedo that the guardians are to claim the world for Ainz-sama. It came somewhat as a surprise, as Ainz did not seem like the world-dominator kind of person. Shalltear, Sebas, Aura, Mare and Demiurge would all be sent out, to map the surroundings of Nazarick. They would all provide daily updates, as would Ainz-sama himself in his adventures as Momon, the Dark Warrior.

The capital of Re-Estize was less impressive as he imagined it to be, compared to some of the largest cities back in Yggdrasil. The merchant sector though, did have the vibrancy befitting the capital of the Kingdom, with goods transported by horseback or other means from the rest of cities. It also seemed like there was a decent mix of foreigners whom brought their exotic goods to the city, their various spices and teas, powders and dyes. The exotic goods segments of the market had a strange odour that most may find mildly repulsive, but for Wololo, though now in human form, he still retained a sensitive nose, and the odours are no less than an assault on the senses, and he quickly walked away before the aromas overwhelmed him.

A few blocks away from the spice market lies the crafts area. Traders peddling furniture, weapons, armor or adventurers' supplies would all set up shop or stalls around the square. More established merchants own the proper shops by around the square, whilst those starting out their trade or those with less items to sell set up small stalls in the square itself, peddling their wares to beginner adventurers, or former army men transitioning into the private protection sector, hoping to offer their skills.

 _This should be a good place to start, maybe I could get some work as a blacksmith's apprentice and check out how do smiths here make their wares. Or maybe I'll just check out the competition first..._

He explored the market, stopping to look at the various knives, swords, shields, platemail and chainmail armors, and noticed that the quality of the steel used in this world seemed a little bit better than those back in Yggdrasil. It was something he'd like to explore further in the future. Perhaps the mix of other elements in the metal is different. For the use of those starting out their journey as adventurers or monster hunters, this quality should be fit for purpose. Most of them did not have any imbued magic or enchantment merged into the wares, and are probably made by smiths that had not much experience with magic.

About 2 hours of wandering later, he made his way into the larger shops at the side of the square. The first shop he entered hung a large dark blue banner across the walls, on it was a crest. It seemed like a military emblem or some noble crest, but at this time he could not recognise it.

"Welcome to George's. We are the city's military grade equipment maker!" A young man shouted, perhaps it was a standard greeting for incoming customers. "We also carry replicas of our national treasures and the armor of our warrior captain."

 _Oh!_

"Can I have a look at them?" The young lad then walked over to a corner, gesturing Wololo to go over.

"Buying some souvenirs?"

Looking at the replicas he noticed they were similar to some higher grade items back in Yggdrasil, suggesting their origin may be foreign in nature, or perhaps their maker were aware of Yggdrasil's design influences. Though the replica surely could not match the workmanship or the enchantments of the original, it was sufficiently well made that it would probably be hung proudly on the walls of many peasants. "How did the Kingdom get such treasures?"

"No official story I know of but the bards and minstrels sings about them being the remains of the 13 heroes. There is also another version of the story where it was used to slice through the six demons."

Well, the replicas is arguably the most interesting part of the entire shop, the rest of the goods on display were in the low to minor grade, meant for troops after all. Well, no nation could arm their army with high grade items…

"How much is this replica?" Wololo grabbed the hilt of "Replica Razors Edge", showing it to the young storekeeper.

"6 gold pieces."

"Uh never mind I don't have that kind of money." Wololo quickly placed the replica back to the display cabinet. "That's all, thank you." And walked out.

 _I'm poor. No. I'm broke._

He had Yggdrasil gold coins, but he would rather not use them unless really forced to. In fact, he would rather first melt the coins into gold bars and then exchange them for the currency of the kingdom. So the first matter of the day… is to find work.

The craftsmans'guild is far less rowdy than the adventurers'guild. It was where various craftsmen came together to share their craft, and showcase their skills. It is also where young men and women came to learn how to work with various raw materials, and fashion them into equipment, or furniture, or buildings. A registration at the guild was required before you could sell goods or services at the market, and a monthly report of collections was to submitted to the guild, and the guild would then take a fraction of your proceeds to fund guild activities. Naturally, higher contributing businesses get more say in the affairs of their craft, and also assist in lobbying for high profile work with royalty or great adventurers. The craftmans' guild also act as a directory for services, listing the sort of services each and every member provides.

And there lies the opportunity for Wololo.

 _There are few enchanters in this town._

It made perfect sense for him. It did not require large spaces, and a pop up stall in the market would be sufficient, and would provide exposure to travellers and adventurers who needed a little boost along the way. He quickly asked the receptionist to register himself, under a fake name he thought up there and then, Wolf. Some formalities, signatures and forms later, the receptionist guided him upstairs for a briefing by the market stall coordination officer.

"Setting up a stall 4 feet by 4 fee wide will have a daily rent of 4 copper, and lasts from sunrise to sunset. Bigger spaces will charge more, but if you are indeed an enchanter as you say you are, you probably won't need more. We will collect your rent at the end of each day, at sunset, so I hope you make at least 4 coppers. If you don't, your name and a drawing of your face will be placed on the wall, and any patrolling officer is empowered to capture you on the grounds of rent-evasion."

Gulp.

4 coppers. Should be achievable, but he wouldn't want to get in trouble on the first day.

He then messaged Momonga, wondering whether he could get a soft loan of Kingdom currency, just in case he had no customers on the first day of setting up shop.

"Ainz-sama, do you have coins to spare? I need a loan."

"Not much. My adventurer work doesn't pay that well yet. But I can give you 2 or 3 silver coins. I'll transfer them to you." Magically, 3 silver coins popped up in Wololo's pocket. The 3 silver coins should last him a week of stall rent.

"Thanks!"

The first day of his stall was pretty much the outcome he feared. No customers.

There were people who came by and asked what he was selling, but when they heard of enchantments, most thought it was a conman setting up shop, using cheap tricks to trick less careful travellers for money. So most walked away.

And he paid the rent at sunset. He had 2 silver coins and 9 coppers left. He could last another 8 days.

The second and third day of business went by equally quiet as well. There were indeed many curious passerbys, wondering what a middle aged guy with no goods before him, setting up a stall with a banner reading "Enchantments." doing.

After three days of failures, Wololo was dejected. He wondered whether he chose the wrong line, and whether there was a reason behind why there were so few enchanters in this town.

On the morning of the fourth day, he tried again. A neighbouring merchant laughed, "You're still at it, huh? Here's a tip. Change your banner to something easier to understand. I don't understand what your writing means." Then it hit him like an arrow.

 _People don't understand my written language!_

"Can you help me? I want to write 'Enchantments'."

The fellow merchant laughed. "I'll charge you 1 copper coin for that." Wololo promptly paid the 1 copper coin, thinking he had to spend and get himself seen.

Well, at the end of day four, still no customers. More questions from curious lookers though.

But salvation did come on day five.

A passing adventurer came by, and sat himself in front of him.

"I'm going to hunt ogres later. Can you help me make my armor stronger, so I can walk back alive tomorrow? I'll pay you tomorrow though for the 1 silver coin."

Wololo wondered whether this guy in his plain chain mail was going to run away on him, but figured he had to do some advertising. [Lesser Enchant Armor]. It was the lowest level of armor enchantments, but it had a multiplier based on the caster's enchantment skills, stats and level , so he figured it would suffice to protect him for a day, if it was only against mere ogres.

"Give me a downpayment of 2 copper coins. Pay the remainder tomorrow." The adventurer nodded, as he tried to the armor back on. Around his neck hung a small iron plate, indicating his rank as an adventurer. "Good luck with the ogres, and see you tomorrow."

The neighbouring merchant that earlier helped with the sign, came over and patted Wololo on the back, "Well done Wolf-san. That's your first customer!"

 _It's a start._

So now he made 2 copper, regardless of whether the guy came back alive.

He wondered whether his listed price of 1 silver for simple weapons/armor enchantments was too expensive, but decided to keep it. And that iron-ranked adventurer was his only customer for day five. Now he had 1 silver and 7 copper coins left, after paying the day's rent.

"How's things in Re-Estize?" Ainz messaged, before the day ended.

"Slow."

"That's trading for you. Doesn't have quick money like adventuring."

Day six, early morning.

The iron plated adventurer came back, with a menacing group of other adventurers.

Wololo feared the worse, thinking whether they were here to say he scammed them, as how it was back in the day in Yggdrasil when conjobs and turnarounds were common on the trading markets. The other merchants nearby quickly moved their stalls aside, thinking a brawl was going to happen, as it has in the past.

"This is the guy I told you about."

"I don't want any trouble now…" Wololo replied, wondering whether he should scrap this whole enchantment business down the drain.

The other adventurers walked over slowly, one even looked like it had a slight limp, and it was then Wololo noticed they were all quite injured. They all looked at him intensely, as if examining him in their heads.

"Did you really enchant his armor? He took a direct hit in the gut from the boss ogre's club and he walked away alive! We all thought he was done for when we saw his body flew so far." One of the other adventurers exclaimed.

"Oh, yes. Yes I did." Wololo let out a huge sigh of relief.

The iron-plated adventurer then took out 11 copper coins, the remainder of the payment, and placed it in his palm. "Thanks for saving my life yesterday. Normal chainmail wouldn't have taken that hit so well."

 _First daily profit!_

Since then, the entire team of adventurers came over for a buff before heading out to slay monsters.

A week later, Wololo made enough of money from just the regulars to be able to pay back Ainz's 3 silver coins with interest. Ainz was surprised, but Wololo knew he got lucky when the adventurers came to him. It was the break he needed.

With the stress of not being able to meet rent gone, and with name recognition amongst the junior adventurers, Wololo felt relieved. His pouch now had 14 silver coins, and he decided to have 1 day of rest, instead of having his stall open every day of the week.

So after closing his stall for the day, he went exploring the city. Late at night, the city is quite different. Without the hustle and bustle of the ordinary peasantfolk going about their daily lives, night time is quiet, lit by the very few magical lights along the main streets. He had spent almost all his time in the merchant and craftsmens' district, that he had not seen the rest of the city. So this was the first proper chance he got to explore the rest of the city.

Then as he walks across a small bridge within the city, that he sensed it.

The Sewers. Something draws him to the sewers.

From the sewers beneath the bridge.

In his eyes, it seemed like some sort of energy flow that went into the sewers.

There's something down there.


	3. Chapter 2

[An : had made a round of updates to the first 2 chapters for consistency with the canon. Thanks for spotting them ;)

…

Entering the sewers reminded Wololo of the earlier beginner level tutorials of various MMOs, and as such it always excited him a little. It had "new beginnings" written all over it.

He transformed himself into his wolf form, and summoned two animal companions. The first was a lvl 45 devil bat, nicknamed "Screech" and the other was a lvl 52 warrior giant rat named "Fury swipes". In dark sewers the bats echolocation abilities and the rats sensitive whiskers would alert him to any potential foes. He then casted a beastmaster skill [of one mind] that allowed him to share his thoughts directly with his 2 summoned creatures and see the sewers the way the 2 summoned creatures could.

The first level into the sewers was absolutely harmless. Encountering only regular critters such as rats and various tiny insects, there were no monster-level creatures that confronted them. Following the energy lines, he soon found it ended at a wall, on the deep end of the first level sewers. Despite being walled up, sewage water still flowed beneath it, and the texture and color of the walls are different from those before them. It suggested the walls were made at different times.

Placing his hand on the wall, he activated his druid spell [move earth] and made the walls moved aside like swivel doors, revealing a path that heads deeper underground. Unlike the level 1 sewers, the walls on this path look really worn out of neglect, and there were thick cobwebs along the edges of the walls. He wondered whether there are spiders on those webs, and noticed just a few under the darkness. [Night vision] assisted in having a sense of where everything was, but it still is less detailed than being able to see under sunlight.

Fury swipes' whiskers moved slight, seems to detect there is some strange movement in the air. About 30 feet into the second level of the sewers, larger hostile spiders start appearing. He wondered what they fed on since its shut off from the rest of the world, but squashed them with his hammer anyway, and flicked the remains off.

And more spiders kept appearing. The spiders were black with small red spots over their back, and had multiple eyes. About 2 feet in size, they are slightly larger than your average household cat, and probably would make the cats as food too. From the behavior of the spiders they are merely reacting to the movements detected by the cobwebs, and do not appear to possess intelligence. He estimated their levels to be between 5 to 8, and so they are no match for Fury Swipe's magical gauntlets or Screech's metal claws.

After about another 40 minutes of descent, the pack approached what appeared to a disused shaft that went vertically down. Perhaps there was a lift or a mining cart that used to be here. From Screech's echo he estimated the shaft to be about 30 meters deep, though the darkness suggests that it went down forever.

[Shapeshift] Wololo transformed into a giant basilisk, and started climbing down the shaft walls, making use of its 4 large claws to hold the walls. While Screech provide air cover, the giant rat too joined the climb down. He decided on a basilisk form as it allowed better control and stronger combat abilities if he met an enemy while descending. (He considered just jumping down since he could easily survive the fall, but decided against it as he didn't want to make too much noise).

About 5 minutes later, at the floor of the vertical shaft, bones of various animals and humans was scattered all over it. Rather than scare Wololo, it just reminded him of another of those mining cave quests, where a monstrous dragon would often pile up bodily remains to demoralise any potential intruder. Well, for someone with negative karma such as Wololo, this was just like a human passing by a lovely garden.

At the bottom of the shaft, there were 2 pathways, and it looked like their design reminded him of old secret passageways. There was no decorations on the pathway, except for more cobwebs, and about half a minute later, Wololo and his 2 pets detected movement from the the 2 passageways.

It sounded like a constant wave of shrieks that gotten louder after each wave, and he figures it would be a whole lot more… spiders. It poured out of the pathways, spilling into the small circular-ish shaft they were in. Fury Swipes activated his battle frenzy mode, where its rat eyes turn glowing red and its claws turn longer, and swiped at all nearby spiders in a frenzy, slashing multiple spiders into pieces with each swipe. Screech on the other hand was less competent at multi-unit combat, but still tried its best to slash every nearby spider with the claws on its two feet.

Wololo casted [Massive Fire Resistance] on himself and his 2 pets, and then [Summon Fire Elemental]. From the void, emerged an incarnation of fire (Lvl 55), and it radiated an intense heat that charred the nearby spiders. It then blasted out a wave of fire that filled the entire shaft with flame, and also blasted 2 separate jets of intense flames into each of the 2 pathways, and fried the wave of spiders. About 1 minute of cooking later, all that lefts of the shaft was the ashes of spiders.

With the spider problem resolved, Wololo thanked the Fire Elemental for his service, and the fire elemental de-activated its [Burn Aura II]. Now the little party of 4 made its way down the left pathway, where he observed the jet of fire seemed to travel further.

The pathway is reasonably large, enough for a 10 feet tall elephant to pass through it. Its walls are a mix of dirt and rock, with occasional columns of stone placed at certain intervals to support the roof. As the path went further down, he could hear the shrieks of more spiders in the distance, carried by the echos of the tunnel, and the flow of energy that he saw earlier at the sewer entrances seem stronger.

It's getting close.

About another 10 minutes later, they soon came across another shaft that headed further down. With the light of the fire elemental, he could see it was about another 50 meters down. And this time there were a different species of spiders. They were larger, about twice the size of the earlier spiders, and it's feet had additional claw like appendages. Its fangs looked a little poisonous too.

The fire elemental leaped from the ledge they were on, and landed on top of one of the spiders. It's [Burn Aura II] activated, the spiders too started to get cooked by its heatwave, but they took noticeably longer to get burnt by the aura. And then it repeated its' earlier skill of blasting out a wave of flames and cleared the shaft floor of the spiders.

Wololo wondered the origins of the tunnels, but from the surroundings it gave few indicators. The wear and tear on workmanship of the tunnel columns suggested they were probably made about 30 to 50 years ago, and the rocks used to make the columns appear to be from elsewhere. Perhaps it was some kind of secret smuggling tunnels that has since fallen into disuse and now occupied by spiders.

There was another pathway down from the shaft, again. From all the walking so far, he estimated that he is now outside the capital's walls. Perhaps this tunnel leads to a river? There seemed to be some background noises that suggested of the presence of moving water, and a few steps into the pathway was a small rock bridge that had flowing sewage beneath it. It stank, so they quickly went ahead.

About 10 minutes of walking later, they came across a large chamber, probably large enough to fit a fully grown dragon with its wings stretched out. Its walls were covered in much thicker cobwebs, and they soon saw its red eyes.

A giant spider, about 12 feet in height quickly swipes its two front legs at the party. Fury Swipes quickly jumped to the party's defense, sending out a blast of air with its swipes that collided with the spider's air slash.

"WHO DARES INTRUDE ON THE LAIR OF THE SPIDERQUEEN ARANA!" A loud womanly voice echoed in the chamber.

Wololo laughed. ' _What a clichéd dungeon boss greeting.'_

He estimated the giant spider before him to be about level 25 to 30, not a match for the 3 summoned creatures. The fire elemental which swiftly repeated its wave of flames that scorched the cobwebs, depriving the Spiderqueen of its' mobility. Fury Swipes and Screech then rushed towards the Spider Queen, and its' Fury Swipes [Heavy Slash] was parried by two of the Spider Queen's legs, which broke from the impact. Screech came from another direction at about the same time, and it's claws were blocked by another 2 legs. Screech's claws then grabbed hold of the 2 legs, holding the Spiderqueen in place.

[Fireball] x 2. The Fire Elemental then shot out 2 fireballs at the Spiderqueen, hitting it squarely in the body.

Sensing itself not able to defeat the intruders, the spider begged for her life.

"THE SPIDERQUEEN ARANA SURRENDERS! SPARE ME!"

…

…

About this time, Momon and Nabel just completed their mission of saving Nfirea Bareare from Kajit and Clementine in the graveyards of E-Rantel, wews of their glorious success made them famous in E-Rantel overnight. The success also earned the duo a promotion to Mythril rank adventurers.

"Ainz-sama, I have grave news." Albedo messaged. "Shalltear Bloodfallen has rebelled."

For a moment, Ainz was unable to process the news that he just received. So he just blurted out

"Huh?"

"Huh?!"

When Albedo messaged, relaying the same message that was given to Ainz, Wololo too, was too shocked for words.

"Are you sure about this?"

"Yes, Wololo-sama."

…

Back in the throne ball together with Ainz, Albedo briefed the two supreme beings of what information she has collected so far, and where she was last seen by Sebas. Ainz, back in his familiar dark cloak seemed baffled by the rebellion. Ainz activated [view master source] and indeed, for Shalltear, her name was in a darker shade, suggesting either rebellion, or under the influence of some kind of status effect or mind control.

"What do you think happened?"

"Maybe Shalltear was feeling jealous?" Wololo tried to lighten up the serious mood, but all he got was the stares of the two others. "Never mind."

"Ainz-sama, I recommend we form a team to take her down immediately. I recommend that I'll lead the team, with Cocytus as deputy commander and Mare as the third team member. With the 3 of us taking charge of a team of servants, we can take her down."

Ainz placed his fingers on his jaw, and contemplated Albedo's suggestion, but then asked. "Where is she last seen, Albedo?"

"I'm sorry Ainz-sama, but we do not know at the moment. We are unable to contact any of the vampire brides that accompanied Shalltear on her journey." Albedo said, bowing. Her wings seemed a little droopy. "We've raised the security level of Nazarick to the maximum, and placed additional servants at the doors in case we are attacked."

"Let's speak to Nigredo and find out where she is."

The frozen prison on level 5 was where the enemies of Nazarick was kept, and tortured. Though Nigredo appears somewhat insane, Ainz is able to pacify her with a doll, which returned her to normal and got her to locate Shalltear.

…

News of the presence of a ridiculously powerful vampire spread through E Rantel. Merchants and caravans diverted their routes away from the areas close to the vampire, fearing that they may fall victim to it, as many adventurers that wondered too close had.

In panic, the city of E Rantel called for a meeting of local guilds of magicians, warriors and adventurers to discuss a response to the monster that faced them. Momon and Nabel who, as mithril ranked adventurers of E Rantel were invited as well, though their peers did not view them positively as their swift rise has caused tremendous jealousy.

Wololo, disguised as a tiny fly, joined the meeting by resting on Momon's shoulders.

The meeting went nowhere for the first 30 minutes as the mayor went through the formalities of introduction and narrating the events that have now unfolded. And it was followed by a survivor's account, Brita. As she narrated her story, her voice still visibly shaken and her spirit broken, another mithril ranked adventurer interjected.

"Why were you spared? Everyone else died!"

"I don't know! It stopped when the vampire grabbed me and all my things fell out. Then it asked me where I got my potion."

Then Brita turned and stared at Momon.

"You! You gave me this potion! What relationship do you have with the monster?!"

It was at that moment everyone turned and stared at the Ainz. Narberal instinctly became defensive, and reached for her weapon, ready to defend her master.

Ainz raised his hand, asking Narberal to stand down. "Yes. I know of the vampire."

Murmurs and whispers were heard all around.

"It is one of the vampires that I am pursuing, and I would like to apologise for not letting everyone know earlier. From what the lady described earlier it seems that the vampire is Henupenko."

"I see. We earlier speculated that this turn of events is related to Zuranon and the undead mess that occurred a while back, which you had resolved."

"No they are not related. I have been chasing this vampire for some time now, and have been trying to do difficult quests to hope to find her and her kind again."

"Momon-san, while you are indeed powerful, over reports suggest that this vampire is significantly more powerful than an ordinary vampire. We have confirmed that this vampire is able to use the third tier magic of [call undead] which places it at least at the platinum level."

"We should fortify our defenses before the vampire attacks us."

"That would be difficult as from what the reports suggest, it will be difficult to stop the vampire should it attempt to infiltrate the city."

"Then someone should get some reconnaissance on the vampire to see where the vampire is headed next."

"That's a suicide mission."

"We volunteer."

"Huh?"

"We have been chasing the vampire for some time and this is our golden opportunity to defeat it as it chose to reveal itself. We will go as we are most familiar with its behavior and abilities."

"Confidence is good, but how do you hope to defeat it?"

"I have a trump card." Ainz took out a spherical jewel containing the sealed 8th tier magic, and everyone gasped. The magician amongst them was most interested and screamed out.

"Can I see it?" Ainz nodded and passed over the crystal, to which the adventurers and magician present stared in awe. "This is amazing!" The magician Rakesheer casted inspection magic on the little jewel and went nuts, as if he had seen the object of his greatest desires. The other adventurers too held it, sensing the unusual magics that are hidden within it.

"Yes.. Can I have it back now?" the magician reluctantly parted with the jewel, as if a part of his soul was given away.

"Where did you find it?"

"Very far away. In some ruins."

"Anyway, we should leave towards where Henupenko was last seen soon. It's best if we make use of daylight and attack it while it's weaker." Ainz was bullshitting, as the effect of daylight was miniscule on someone at Shalltear's power level. But it sounded believable for everyone else as it is an inherent attribute of vampires.

"I will go too!" It was one of the mithril ranked adventurers that wasn't too happy with Ainz's Swift rise.

"You may not come back alive."

"That's fine."

"Very well, gather your men and we will meet in one hours time at the city gates."

…

Wololo spent the hour retrieving his equipments from the Treasury. He too had his own unique equipments, and readied himself to assist Ainz on his battle with Shalltear. For now he will remain hidden, and only appear when the pesky adventurer team has been disposed off.

Ainz sama came to the forested area, and saw a lifeless Shalltear that is in full combat gear, armed with her lifedrain weapon, Spuit Lance. Aura, and Mare had earlier came to set up the surveillance eyes and bring Ainz's equipment for the upcoming battle.

Wololo too brought two floating box of crates next to him.

Ainz's bony jaws seemed to curve upwards, forming what could be described as a smile.

"So what was in those boxes, Wololo-san?"

"It is for your battle, Ainz-san."

"Then let us go." Ainz planned to fight Shalltear alone, as it was he who decided to send them out. In some ways this was how he wanted to take responsibility for his mistakes.

Observing Shalltear from afar, Ainz started by using [Wish Upon A Star], in an attempt to dispel the mind control. It didn't work.

"Seems like that confirms it is a world-class item, and combat is our only choice. I have made the preparations, Ainz-san."

"Yes, Wololo-san. I'll go ahead." Ainz nodded, began casting his buffs. He mentally went through his fight plan, and readied his super-tier skill [Heaven's Fall]

"I'll be right here." it was Ainz pride that led to him putting this on himself.

The explosion from Heavens fall created a huge crater that destroyed almost all life in the area…. Except her. "Kakakakaka. That was pretty painful Ainz-sa-ma-!"

"How do you like my boring gift, Shalltear?" He stood in an imposing stance, seeming to beckon the vampire to come at her.

"It was amazing! Can't believe I have to kill someone with such amazing power as you, Ainz-sama"

Ainz laughed. "Why do you still refer to me with such honorifics. Who is your master now?"

Shalltear was visibly frowning a while, struggling to understand why she did what she did, but after a while she put that thought aside and readied herself for battle. "It's you, of course. But no matter, I'll think about it after this battle is over."

In her mind this was going to be a battle of endurance between Ainz-sama's spells and her ability to outlast them. Or so she thought.

She charged at her master, with her Spuit Lance thrust straight at him. But an explosion followed by two more explosions pushed her away, sending her back a few steps.

Ainz casted a spherical ball of energy [Maximize Magic: Gravity Maelstrom] at her, and she blocked with a magical wall, [Wall of Stone]

But somehow the stone wall magically dissolved, and the sphere hit Shalltear. Ainz grinned, and sent out another sphere with black spirals at Shalltear. Instead of defending with a spell, she used her MP to dodge the attack instead.

 _What happened just now?_

Deciding to fight in close quarters instead, Shalltear teleported close to Ainz in hope to pressure him to use more spells in response to her attacks. But the teleportation was delayed, and found drift mines closing in on her.

She transformed into her Astral form, in order to avoid herself from being damaged by the drift mines. But it failed. Something sucked her back out of her Astral form, and it was too late to avoid the drift mines that exploded right before her.

"Arghhh! What was that again?!"

Ainz didn't give her a chance to retaliate, and sent out another Gravity Maelstrom, and she casted the [Wall of Stone] to defend herself, and the stone collided with the spherical maelstrom and disappeared.

 _Eh, it works now? Why did it fail before?_

But another Maelstrom came, and she went offensive with a teleport. This time there was no drift mines waiting for her, but instead Ainz somehow was able to predict where she was teleporting to and had casted some form of binding spell on her, which she broke free.

"Ainz-sama, you know very well I'm immune to motion restriction spells." But the binding held on to her longer than she expected it to. _Something is not right._

She lost quite substantial HP from the few repeated hits from Ainz-sama, and casted [Regeneration].

"I expected you to have that."

The regeneration failed. She had 35% HP left, and from the hits she gotten so far, she felt she wasn't going to last much longer, and her plan of trading HP for Ainz-sama's MP was collapsing terribly.

 _HUH?!_

"Ainz-sama, what is going on!"

"Wololo-san came earlier before I did, and have used the effect of the divine class item [Eternal Bleeding] on this area. It negates all regeneration abilities and spells in this area. Both yours, and mine."

 _That explains why regeneration failed. But doesn't explain why my some of my magic doesn't work?_

Ainz launched another maelstrom at her, but she then used her special skill [Unholy Shield] and blasted the gravity sphere away. She then charged towards Ainz, creating a glowing spear [Purifying Javelin] and flung it at Ainz, "Did you know I have such skills, Ainz-sama?"

"No I don't."

The glowing spear flew towards Ainz at incredible speed, and pierced through Ainz.

"Urgh!" He staggered a few steps back. "That hurt."

But since Shalltear wanted a melee, she's going to get one. [Reality Slash].

Shalltear did not expect Ainz-sama to enter into a melee with her, and the Spuit Lance's life-drain function was impaired by the [Eternal Bleeding]. It seems a melee was not going to turn out well for her either. Even though she is down in terms of HP, she felt she has better physical defense than Ainz and should probably come out ahead if she kept up with the [Purifying Javelin] and [Unholy Shield].

And if it's a melee, she activated [Einherjar].

"Ainz-sama, you won't win close combat against me." As an exact replica of Shalltear appeared next to her. But Ainz looked confident. "Do you have a plan against me, Ainz-sama?"

It was then Ainz activated his special Eclipse class spell [cry of the banshee] and a loud howl spread around Ainz like a ripple. But there was an activation time and he had to still Dodge both Shalltear and the Einherjar's attack.

Then time is up.

In an expanding sphere everything in it died, trees wither, the earth loses its ability to support life, and air seemed to lose moisture. The Einherjar crumbled into dust. An area measuring 200 meters turned into a desert. Everything, except Shalltear.

 _Resurrection potion. I expected it, but damn, its still frustrating to see it turn out this way._

That wasn't prevented by [Eternal Bleeding]. He cursed the smarts of Peroroncino-san, thinking so far ahead and even included a counter for this.

"That was amazing! As expected of Ainz-sama, but Peroroncino-sama has prepared a countermeasure! Hahaha! This is my win, Ainz-sama!" Shalltear laughed.

It still is going to be a melee then.

They both closed in, and Shalltear laughed. "I still have the superiority in close combat."

She casted purifying javelin repeatedly.

And Ainz responded with reality slash.

[Reality slash]

[Purifying javelin]

[Reality slash]

[Purifying javelin]

[Reality slash]

Something was strange. She was hurting more from the exchange.

[Purifying javelin]

[Reality slash]

Before she could land the next purifying javelin, Ainz seemed to be surrounded in a reddish glow.

[Reality slash]

 _Ainz is faster than me! And it hurt! How could this be!_

She tried to steady herself and noticed Ainz wielding a weapon she had not seen. Each slash seemed faster than the one before.

[Purifying javelin]

[Reality slash]

[Reality slash]

She's losing the exchange. She took 2 hits for every one she landed.

"This is [ Rage of the lost ] . A legendary class weapon that invokes a bloodlust and battlefury for each successive hit landed, and also boosts speed based on hit points lost and damage taken." Ainz commented, readying himself for the next slash.

[Reality slash]

Stunned at how well prepared her master was, she gushed. "As expected of Ainz-sama!"

With her HP quickly whittling away, as each slash cut deeper than the ones before it, she knew she had lost it.

" It is my win, Shalltear. We too expected this to end in a melee." Then the timer on Ainz's wrist rings, "But I have my pride as a mage, and it is only fitting for me to end you with a spell."

[Heaven's fall]

"Glory to Ainz Ooal Gown! Ainz-sama is amazing~"

A huge explosion incinerated everything, and Shalltear crumbled into ashes.

…

…

After the battle, he had a lot to think about. About the concepts of control and loyalty, about the structure of power in this new world, and there were a few theories he wanted to test.

The new world clearly did not follow the rules of Yggdrasil, although here certainly were similarities. There were opportunities in this world, and he had a hearty laugh when he thought about it.

 _Did the concept of a guild still apply?_

 _Are the guild restrictions still in force?_

 _If this was a sandbox, what would he do with it?_

Ainz-san is just going along with the flow, trying to keep Nazarick together while figuring out their place in the world, and hopefully find any other guild members. It is indeed rational for him to do so, but clearly there are certain forces out there that had some measure of ability to challenge Nazarick.

While they are guildmates, they both are individuals, with their own minds. Perhaps when offered the same opportunity in this new world, they may have different visions of what they would do with it.

END

[AN : Thanks for reading! I am hoping to diverge from the original from here, but let's see how it goes =)]


	4. Chapter 3

Overlord chapter 3.

The mines had been abandoned some 20 to 30 years ago, and records suggested that available ores and minerals have since been fully mined. It was a huge mining project when it was discovered, bringing great prosperity to the nearby small towns, but resources do not last forever. All that's left now are sealed mines and flooded quarries that has since been slowly reclaimed by the surrounding natural vegetation, and what was once a massive quarry is now disguised by the grasses and scattered trees.

The request that came to the adventurers guild was to exterminate the monsters that recently claimed the mines as it's own, and the monsters has started to attack passing caravans along routes near to the mines.

"You ready to go, Anna?"

"Yes." The brunette lady replied. She tied up her shoulder length hair into a ponytail. made some final checks to her equipment, and turned to reply, "Yes. Ready." She walked out of her room and headed downstairs to gather with the band of adventurers.

"Ah everyone is here. Let's start. The adventurers guild commissioned 3 teams to attack the mines. We, the Black Spear as the last of the 3 that accepted the request. The mission is simple. Head out to the mines and kill all the monsters you see, and then into the mines and destroy any monsters that made a nest or base there."

"Who are the other 2 teams?" Anna asked of her leader, Tevas.

"2 other platinum ranked adventurer groups, the Dragon scale Band, and the Eastern Fear." Tevas was a muscular, 40ish man. He carried with him 2 large battle-axes on his back, and wears a thick leather jacket with steel chains woven into it. "They have already set out from the northern approach and western approach respectively. We will be taking the southern approach."

Tevas looked around his band. There were 6 others, including himself for a total of 7. They have been adventuring together for the past 4 years and now can claim to be platinum ranked adventurers as well. "The southern approach is the old road, so likelihood to encounter monsters is quite high."

"What sort of monsters?"

"Quite mixed, from the guilds' early reconnaissance reports. Some goblins, some cat like beasts, some spiders. Rather unusual for a nest which normally only has one type of creature. If it's a nest."

They ran the odds in their heads. Goblins, catbeasts and spiders were well within their abilities. But them together is an unusual combination, so it suggested something else together. Or perhaps just an odd combination of coincidences, which doesn't merit a combined explanation.

"Its not exactly a nest, is it?" A tall, slender man asked. He looked like he is in his 30s and had a longbow slung over his back, and was the Spear's ranger and monster specialist. "If there is a reason that links all of them together, it may not be something we can handle."

"The guild must have felt strange as well, and that is why 3 teams have been commissioned for the task. We will slay what monsters that we can and retreat if we are overwhelmed. We don't have to be too daring."

The rest of the band nodded, agreeing that it was probably the best course of action. They were not reckless. With nothing else to discuss for now, the band gathered their necessities, got their relevant buffs, and then set off on horseback towards the southern approach to the mines.

...

The southern approach to the mines is the mountain pass, and was the old route before the mines were open, and the wider northern and western paths were build to accommodate the export of minerals from the mines to the nearest towns for processing and smelting. The noble at that time, had invested some labourers to have southern road expanded but it still remains a relatively under-travelled road, except the traders that want to head towards the demihuman lands beyond the mountain ranges to the north.

The entire trip to the mines would take 3 days on horseback, and halfway through the journey, things weren't so bad. Surprisingly, the monsters they encountered were few and far between. But while they thanked their luck so far, it isn't safe yet.

It was at the start of the Deep Mountain Passes, that the spider problem that the guild described in their briefing really emerged. The spiders were native to the land, and traditionally kept away from the main roads and passes, so seeing them here meant something was amiss. But there are really a lot of reasons why spiders move out of their traditional habitat, some of it as natural as overpopulation, or the destruction of their traditional habitats, or maybe its' just seasonal migrations. It was entirely possible that, it is not the mines that caused the problem. On its own, these mountain spiders are harmless, being animals that mostly used its thick webbing to trap small passing birds and insect for food, but when the path before them was entirely coated in webbing, then they were a slight nuisance, unless you had mages in your party.

[Burn]. Anna and her teammate, Harde were both mages. Whilst Anna had access to only tier 2 spells, Harde, a 40 year old mage like Tevas had enough practice and experience to use some tier 3 spell. Getting through webbings quickly usually involved some form of fire, or some form of wind that blows all the webbing away.

As the webbing burned, emerged from behind the fires was a giant spider about the size of a human. It hissed loudly, signifying it's annoyance at being burned.

"Giant Kavar spider! Change to crushing weapons and shields up!"

[Burn] Anna and Harde both casted it again, and a hairy segment of the spider caught fire. The fire may have just provoked it further, and so it rushed towards the party.

Facing the charging giant creature, Tevas grabbed his battle-axe on his back, whispered a few words of magic, [Imbue Fire] and flung the enchanted axe right at the giant spider, hitting it squarely between its fangs, slicing through its shell and splitting it's face in half. And the spider dropped lifeless on the dirt, greenish goo dripping out of the wounds.

"That was unexpected." Tevas walked over and pried his axe out of the body. "Do you think we might be facing a spider Queen?"

"Unlikely, Kavar Spiders don't get along well with black spider queens." The team's ranger replied, while approaching the spider and cutting off the spiders fangs, putting it into his pouch. "Giant Kavar spider poison is useful though, you can sell them for a fair bit of money."

A while further from the pass, they came across a small stream and decided to set up camp. As they started to cook their captured animals for food over the campfire, the group's ranger said: "But, if we do face a spider Queen, we may have casualties if we fight."

"Yes I would rather not fight it then. So, if we encounter it our strategy is to retreat and flag this up to the adventurers guild so they can upgrade the difficulty on the quest." Tevas said. He knew it is better to live another day than earn that extra bit of money.

The deer meat was still not cooked. "So far, anything else unusual?" He turned the stick around, hoping to cook the other part.

"Why mines?" Spiders normally pick thicker forests for nests, whereas catbeasts do not normally even group together, and goblins are the only ones that do make some form of dwelling in caves.

"Perhaps some kind of goblin mage is behind this?"

"With a spider Queen? They would rather kill each other."

Realising their deduction was getting nowhere, they decided to switch to light banter, joking about Tevas's age and his alimony payments to his ex wives, or Harde's future plans when he grows tired of the adventurers' life. Perhaps teaching.

…

By noon the next day, they arrived at the quarries, where the entrances to the mines sit. The quarries has since been covered in shrubs and grass, with some small trees here and there. The mines themselves had vines growing into it, except one.

That was where the boss lies. If there was one.

Surveying the perimeter before descending into the quarries, they captured a goblin that seemed to be fleeing. After some threats and interrogation later, the goblin spilled all he knew.

Turns out the goblins were not working together with the spiders.

The goblin, before they killed him, left a warning. "A huge monster has emerged in the northern mountains. It has conquered many goblin homes and it will conquer yours soon."

The goblins fled. And they came here hoping to seek refuge but instead found a spider infestation. The members of the Black Spear breathed a sigh of relief. Perhaps it is just a spider Queen. Perhaps it's just spiders over-breeding. That would be a lot more manageable, though preferably avoided.

Outside the mines, they made their preparations, changed their gears and then went inside.

"A team of people left here recently. Probably yesterday or the day before. Humans." the ranger said, pointing to mud and sands, and the directional imprint on them.

"Do you think the other 2 teams came here already?"

"Certainly a possibility."

They were both disappointed and also relieved. If the other party walked away alive, that is a good thing. But they may have gotten away with the good stuff, if there were loot.

The mines had spiders. Though there were signs the cobwebs have been cut recently, there were new spiders that worked to rebuild the webs. Still, not an actual obstacle for the Black Spear.

Deeper inside, the air a little more moist from the dripping waters, there were larger spiders, but they too was no match for them. Three hours in, and a few giant spiders later, they soon came to a dead end.

The road ahead had collapsed. The roof of the cage fell through and large rocks now block their path.

"Damn."

Anna though, had a very queasy feeling in her chest. There was a voice. And it called to her. It was a faint whisper….

"Did anyone hear that?" The rest of the team shook their head, but entered into a defensive stance. Any ominous gut feels are not to be dismissed.

There was nothing.

"Spread out to 2 teams. Maybe there's another way."

They searched nearby. Nothing.

"Well, let's leave then and report what we find."

"Strange."

As they turned around to head back, Anna saw a glint. It was in between the rocks at the side. Somehow, she walked over and moved the rock aside, and saw a tiny iron ring, made for a slender lady's fingers. It's basic and had a really old design and she reached out to hold it, and put it in her bag.

Travelling back to town a few days later, they reported their findings and collected their reward for slaying the monsters. It was a reasonable sum for the work they did, though they suspected they did not solve the problem. Something was causing the monsters to spawn there.

After Tevas distributed the rewards to the team, he too left for his quarters, visibly tired of the journey.

Back in her room, Anna remembered the old iron ring that she collected, and casually tried to wear it. It fit perfectly on her ring finger.

…

…

Animals and humans generally follow the natural life cycle, of birth, growth, maturity and death. But beyond that exists creatures of magic, things that spawn when the conditions were right. Or there were a mix of both, where the presence of magic enhanced the birth and growth of those surrounding it.

Magic too, comes in all types, and of many different natures. Different types of natural "mana", supported and promoted the growth of certain types of creatures.

Deep beneath the sewers, lies the heart of the "dungeon". Where the mana streams that gathered here are the thickest.

And this was the first of many.

The possibility of a new home, in the new world.

Standing in the middle of the chambers where they fought the Spider Queen previously, he reached out his hand and tried to mentally connect to the mana stream that flowed through the chambers.

A wispy voice spoke to him in his mind. "200." He shut his eyes and some flashing images later, and he soon got a sense that 200 meant levels. If he remembered correctly, Nazarick could support 2750, so the sewers was a paltry one-tenth of that. Each dungeon in Yggdrasil had a value, a value suggesting how much NPCs it could support.

He saw flashes of spiders, of rats, of snakes, of demons in his mind. Then he had a better appreciation of the nature of mana that flowed here. It was the energies of the negative kind, and you could not support Angels using the energies here. Or maybe you could? Would the negative energies corrupt the Angel?

Then the wispy voice spoke again, "Do you accept?"

"Yes."

And a the wispy voice flashed some objects in his mind, and a mental image of items that seemed to suggest it is bonded to the mana.

"The key of the dungeon." In Yggdrasil too, every guild-owned base or dungeon had an item or a creature that symbolised ownership of that place. Defeating that creature or destroying the item would cancel the ownership, and render the dungeon claimable again.

He reached into his inventory, and took out a crystal orb, then willed that the orb bond with the stream of energy that now circled him. The orb glowed a little, and then with it in his left hand. The crystal orb was an empty sealing stone, used to keep spells of the 6th to 8th tier.

The orb was the conduit of the energies that manifested here. He felt within the orb, he had a pool of energy to tap to, and through it, he had a mental image of the domain covered by the dungeon. From the chambers, to the 2 pathways along Lvl 3, to the pathways on Lvl 2, and up till the boundaries of Lvl 1 and Lvl 2. The actual city sewers is not in its' sphere of influence, and perhaps that was why there were no giant spiders there.

He turned around and manipulated the earth to create a pedestal, and placed the orb on it.

Screech, Fury Swipes and the Fire Elemental was still standing watch over the giant spider queen, that he decided to spare.

"Do you know of the energies here, Spider?" He looked at the giant spider, now without its' 4 of its legs. Left on it's own, it would probably be able to regenerate them after some time. Arana, as the spider queen introduced itself, had a black carapace, a large abdomen, and small red spots along its' back. She was literally, and figuratively, a giant black spider.

"No, my lord. I was born here, and I grew here, but have never seen the energies you speak of." The ambient energies, unfocused and undirected, and the spider unknowingly lived and breathed them, and so the energies enhanced her, giving her the giant form and the heavy armor.

He smiled, and then touched the orb again. From the orb, emerged dark energies that surrounded Wololo, and then he looked at the spider, and the energies then flowed towards her.

"Spare me, my lord! Spare me!" The spider begged, thinking he was going to destroy her.

"Zap."

The dark energies hit the spider, and the entire spider glowed dark purple. And then the entire glow changed shape, and took the form of a humanoid. About a minute later, the glow faded, and a dark purple haired girl stood where the spider once was, her skin a light purple. Naked, he could see her light purple breasts, her slender waist, and her skinny legs. She looked at Wololo with her pitch black eyes, her face visibly confused.

"I have not killed you, Arana." Of the 200 levels this dungeon had, he had assigned 30 levels to her, and at the same time transformed her, in his will, into a humanlike girl about 25 years old. Perhaps that was how NPC customisation worked. "I've made you stronger, but now, you belong to me."

Through the orb, he could have a sense of her stats. In terms of power, she was about Lvl 30 now, compared to previously a level 15-20 giant black spider.

She tried to stand, but fell. But she tried again, and held onto Fury Swipes' claws to support herself. "I am… human?"

"No, Arana. I have merely given you your human form. You are still a spider, and you can transform back into a spider." He observed her, visibly trying to adjust herself to her new form, trying to stand and touching herself. He walked over, lifted her chin up so her eyes face his, and said. "Now Arana, I am Wololo, your lord. Remember that well."

"Yes, Wololo-sama." Arana said.

Inside, Wololo was smug. Taking over the dungeon worked better than he imagined it to be. With the orb in hand, he realised he could give instructions on other things as well.

The number of generic spawns or defenses depend on the number of levels (or perhaps a % of the total available levels, he couldn't be sure based on only one sample) assigned to it. Being a low level dungeon, the base defense of the dungeon was Lvl 5 spiders, and if he assigned 100 levels to it, it would bring up the basic level of ordinary spawning creep to lvl 10, which would deter most adventurers from entering.

And he also realised he couldn't put 100 levels into just one monster, unlike Nazarick. The power level of the boss could not be too different from the base level of the average creatures, and the "boss" multiplier for this dungeon was 8. So the max level he could put into a "boss" was 5 times 8 = 40.

He assigned 50 levels to base defenses, which brought up the base level of spiders to about Lvl 8 and already had 30 levels used on Arana. He wanted a summoned creature to protect the orb, because as the key, it could not leave the "heart" of the dungeon.

So, he once again called upon the dark energies of the orb, and summoned a lvl 30 undead champion. A skeletal being armed with a huge broadsword, a round magical shield and a tattered black cape appeared from the concentrated dark energies. He wondered whether Ainz-san's undead would be significantly stronger and has an influence on dungeon NPCs.

"Introduce yourself, champion."

"Gabbadar, at your service."

"Your duty is to defend the orb. No one shall touch it except me."

"Yes, master."

He looked around the bare chambers that they were at, and the fire elemental that was the chamber's only source of light. If he recalled correctly, Nazarick didn't have to use levels for decorations.

The sewers had a second entrance/exit, which is located outside of town, where the city waste was channeled out into the rivers. He then used 10 levels to summon a goblin handyman/worker, and tasked him with repairing various broken doors, bridges, and widening the second entrance so he could use it, and also to spruce up the main chambers where the orb lies, and install some lighting.

There was still a bit of levels left unused, but he decided to think about it some other day.

…

…

He heard of the old mines from the passing adventurers, they mentioned the call for platinum-ranked adventurers to resolve the spider infestation and the goblin outbreak. Though he wasn't too interested in the spiders or the goblins, he wondered about whether the mines are similar to the sewers.

After some friendly banter with the adventurers, he got the location of the mines, and set out the check out the mines for himself.

After the markets close, Wololo returned to his newly claimed underground chambers. Teleporting easily into the chambers (it had no teleportation protection), he saw his new servant, Arana was still figuring out her new found powers and how to move about in her new form. She's gotten the basics down, though, so progress is pretty fast. The fire elemental, Screech and Fury Swipes have been sent back to the aether (keeping them around was an unnecessary drain on mana), and so the main chamber is rather empty, with only the skeleton that stood watch stoicly, and Arana who seemed to enjoy running around and jumping everywhere in her human form.

"Arana, come." Surprised at her master's presence, she stopped running around, and walked over to her new master. .

"Yes, master." She bowed.

He, still in this human trader form, waved his hand that activated the teleportation spell, and teleported them both to the old mines. It wasn't hard to find which of the mines had the been claimed by the creeps.

Inside, the mines were packed with spiders, and he would have to fight them, if not for Arana. As a spider queen, she radiated a command aura that gave her temporary control over neutral lesser spiders, and so they gave way to them willingly as they made their way into the mine's end.

There was nothing much there, but he knew very well, that adventurers are always looking for a prize.

And he reached into his inventory, and placed the rings all over the mine.

If there was no prize here, he'll leave them some. And he let out an evil laugh.

…

…

It fit her fingers snugly. It almost seemed as if it changed shape to fit the fingers. Really comfortable too, though its' appearance a little lacking.

She tried to take it off.

It wouldn't move.

She tried relaxing her fingers.

No use.

She tried to get some oils to slip the ring out, didn't work either.

After about 10 minutes of trying she gave up, and decided to try again some other time. She's a little tired from the day's journey back from the mine, and decided to sleep. She crawled into bed, turned off the lights, and fell into sleep easily.

…

…

It's dark. Really dark.

Around her was darkness. Everywhere she looked.

"Where am I?"

"What's your name?" A voice spoke, and it seemed to come from all around her.

"Anna." She spoke, trying to look for the source of voice.

"Why are you here, Anna?"

"I don't know. I fell asleep and here I am."

"No, Anna. Why are you here?" The voice was louder this time.

"I don't know!"

"You stole something, didn't you?"

"No. I didn't!"

"Yes you did."

A beam of light shone right on Anna from above, illuminating her. She could see her hands covered in blood, and from the dark floor, various streams of dark energy came up and grabbed onto her leg. They were like tentacles, grabbing her, and trying to pull her.

"No! Let me go!"

"Anna, you've been a bad girl. Didn't they teach you not to take things that belong to others?" More dark energy tentacles appeared. They grabbed onto her arms, swallowing it. She was now covered in a thick dark slime, only her head was now left uncovered.

"No!"

"Anna, Anna." The dark energy tentacles seemed to dance around her head. And then it came over her like a wave.

"Noooooo~~~"

…

…

She was jolted from her bed, drenched in sweat.

She looked around her, and she felt a huge relief at seeing the familiar sight of her rented room at the adventurer's inn. She looked at her 2 arms, palms outstretched.

The ring was no longer there.

"That was a nightmare." She said, softly to herself. Well, of course it was. You don't have wake feeling vulnerable otherwise. She touched her messed up hair, then tried to give herself a scalp massage with her fingers. It was something she did to try and calm herself down.

It's already morning. A little bit of light filtered through the curtains, and landed on her lap. She's alive, and what she just saw was a bad dream. A strange one, but still a dream. As she got up and got herself changed into her adventurer's outfit, she saw in the mirror something that chilled her.

Her shadow was standing next to her.

"Hello, Anna." It spoke, in a wispy, girly voice. It sounded like Anna herself, and being her shadow, maybe it was.

Her legs gave way. She fell onto the floor, and the shadow extended a hand to her, almost as if its is trying to help her stand up.

She stared at the black shadow that now looms over her, and wondered whether she is going to die.

…

…

[new OC]


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"How long has it been since we came here? Three months?"

"About three months, yes. Time sure flies."

"Do you like it here?"

"Yes. Its fascinating and beautiful."

"Yes, I think it's incredible too. But it is not our world... Would you consider leaving this world, Ainz-san?"

He pondered the question before. "I don't know. Maybe. But I think we can stay a little longer."

"What if we find a way to go back to our world?"

Ainz looked at Wololo-san, in his Lion form, but did not yet find the words to reply him.

"Would you take it? What if I wanted to go back, and you wanted to stay, but we can only make the decision together?" Wololo was not playing fair with that sort of question, and surely if they decided together. He felt he would probably yield to his request.

Maybe he should not be so selfish to admit he really enjoyed it here so far, other than the humongous expectations placed on him by the denizens of Nazarick.

"I have not put much thought into that. Been focused on making the best of what we do have, and deal with what we face here." To some extent, it was true. He was taking life in the New World, one day at a time.

"If we have that option, what would you do, Ainz-san? Do you have something to go back to?"

Mentally, Ainz knew the answer was no. Reality was dreary. Mechanical. A cog in the corporate machinery.

"If the door was in front of you... what then?" Wololo's questions was directed at Ainz, and also at himself. He too, wasn't sure. Sometimes, when in doubt, you speak to another that shares the circumstances with you.

"How about you? Do you want to go back?" Ainz asked back.

 _I'm the one asking you here_. Wololo too pondered the question before but couldn't decide what he liked better. He wondered whether this was some kind of computer simulation and they are merely experiencing it through some ultra impressive virtual reality interface.

Is this real?

That was a question he couldn't answer, yet. It felt real, it seems real, and yet, because he had the contrast of his "real world", he wasn't too sure. But what makes a reality less real than any other? For the NPCs they surely only had one reality, and this was it.

"I cannot answer you, Wololo-san. Maybe some day. If you find the way back, let me know." Ainz said, and Wololo tapped the elder lich on the shoulder, and walked away.

"Sure thing, Ainz-san." Maybe it would be for the best, if they just go with the flow for now.

….

Albedo overheard. All of it. .

She was walking over to meet Ainz-sama for their usual daily briefing in the throne room, but when she noticed Wololo-sama's presence together with her love, she then decided to wait for the two supreme beings to finish their conversation. After all, it is not in their nature to interrupt supreme beings in their affairs.

"Why would wololo-sama ask if Ainz-sama would leave us?" She didn't understand it. "Was it something we did?"

Wololo walked out of the throne room then, and smiled.

"Ah, Albedo. Here for your briefing?"

"Yes, Wololo-sama." She bowed politely, but inside she was trying to hide her confusion and fear over the conversations the two supreme beings had shared.

"He's all yours now." Wololo smiled again, and teleported away with his ring.

"Why would Wololo-sama suggest my beloved Ainz-san to leave us?"

After the briefing with Ainz-sama, she wasn't settled. She replayed the conversation over and over, and her fears and worries only snowballed.

"Demiurge. We need to talk."

"Hmm. What is the matter?"

"It's about something I overheard between Ainz-sama and Wololo-sama."

…

….

Arana admired the slim blade that Wololo had given her. Made of some kind of dark metal called obsidian, it glowed slightly when Arana channelled her energy into it.

She was amazed when she picked up the blade the first time. A spider like her somehow knew how to used the sword, and used it well too. She could not understand it at all.

Wololo, when giving Arana the extra levels through the dungeon's available allocation, had given it to a warrior skill tree focused on close combat weapons. He didn't tell her about it, so to her, it seems incredibly unusual how she knew the way of the blade so well.

Unable to shake off how oddly familiar she felt with the blade, she practiced. The goblin handy-man built a practice dummy for both the Gabbadar the skeleton and Arana, and occasionally they would have a spar or two. The skeleton, being entirely focused on the warrior and berserker class easily beat Arana on the way of the sword, but is balanced by Arana's innate racial skills such as her venom,her lesser spider summons and her webbings.

In a real fight between Gaddabar and Arana as they are now, the skeleton has an edge due to innate poison immunity and his attacks pack a bigger punch than Arana.

A loud clang.

They were interrupted by the goblin handy-man that was hauling a iron chair over to the chambers.

As with all dungeon's, and all affairs in this world, currencies are always needed. And for dungeons, there were various ways these can be earned. One was to raid humans and is perhaps the most profitable.

Another, taking advantage of the sewers, was the amount of things the humans above them throw into it. Setting up filtration nets, they collected the coins that somehow fell into the sewers. In a day, they could recover some 2 silver coins worth.

For now, the coins collected has been piled up next to the orb, and the energies will reach out to the coins should it need to. New rooms, higher level monsters, traps, all require coins to create. The coins could also be used to buy decorations for the rooms as well.

So coins are pretty important, but depending on location and what surrounds it, different dungeons have different ways of generating coins. Gold mines, for example, could be mined and would generate so much gold that raiding would not be required. But negative mana itself doesn't generally appear around gold veins, as gold itself generates tiny amounts of magic dispersal. It's also how gold has been used the symbols of royalty and the clergy.

For now though, he wanted a Treasury for the sewer dungeon's operations. A Treasury would be better protected, and there is a minor discount with a Treasury around. That too, costs money.

So with the 120 or so silver coin, and the dungeon orb in hand, he willed the creation of a small Treasury, about 6 feet wide, 6 feet long and 10 feet tall. The coins melted and merged with the dark energies, and it zapped the area where he imagined the Treasury to be. An explosion later, and after the dust subsided, what appeared was a metal door, that led to a reinforced chamber.

And he had few coins left to put in the Treasury.

…

…

Demiurge rarely had visitors, what more Albedo.

But as Albedo narrated the conversation, he could appreciate the gravity of the matter.

"We as guardians will have no one, if they leave us. Without the divine beings, we are lost!"

"We must never let that happen."

"What do you think we can do?"

Demiurge wondered. There had been arguments and discussions amongst the divine beings in the past, but have traditionally been settled by way of a vote. But with only two divine beings, it then became a lot more personal.

Unless commanded to, they would never raise their sword against the supreme beings. But..

"Do you think we should monitor the Ainz-sama and Wololo-sama?"

Demiurge had to collect his thoughts. Monitoring them would prove a challenge, and if they want to do it discreetly, even more so. The supreme beings have incredible knack for detecting observation, a byproduct of their many years of experience in the ways of Yggdrasil.

It had to be done in a way that neither of them would suspect. Perhaps it should be done on the guise of protection, as Ainz-sama currently has assassins around him all the time.

"Are we over thinking this? The supreme beings love us greatly and they would not leave us." He asked.

"Are you doubting my hearing?" Albedo was not being her usual self. Maybe the idea of losing her love made her slightly disturbed.

"No. But the supreme beings often speak strange things amongst themselves." Indeed Demiurge was referring to the way the supreme beings used to joke with each other and tease each other, and though occasionally it is highly insulting, it's actually a joke. "It is how the supreme beings discuss things, and they will surely let us know."

"I believe we should take precautions."

…

…

Anna was mad.

She was asking them all whether they see her shadow. To them, she looked perfectly fine, and yet she kept talking about the shadow talking to her and shadow standing upright as if it's a human being too.

Anna, was not mentally stable.

It's been a week since she started behaving this way. They have brought her to a clergyman which tried some exorcism but did not solve anything. It merely made Anna even more mad. The Mage guild did not detect anything on her either, and instead of believing the mage's guild, she went on about how they are wrong and the shadow really was there.

It was a mental issue.

Perhaps trauma. Though they do not recall anything that would seem particularly traumatic, as caves and dungeons are normal affairs for them in the past, and she certainly did not behave like this.

Her teammates, frustrated and unable to do anything at her condition, decided to leave her at the inn, and left for their own quest. Without her. It was a painful decision, but with her unstable mental state she may be a risk.

Alone in the inn. The shadow appeared again,

"They don't believe you."

"No. No. They are not like that. It's all your fault. You. You are evil!"

"But I am just your shadow. If I am evil, so are you."

"No. You are evil." She was exhausted. Her sleep was shallow, disturbed. And her ability to think rationally as mages often do was impaired by the exhaustion.

"Why are you here? Why do you do this to me?"

The shadow did not reply. It merely smiled, revealing it's vampirish fangs.

She collapsed onto the bed. Can I sleep well, at least?

The shadow did not have eyes, but had two red glows in place of them. It looked over her, placing it's palm on her head. "That, is up to you."

…

…

It's the dark surroundings again. She wasn't tied or anything, though. The floor still the dark substance she seen in earlier dreams.

"Not this again?" She sighed.

She saw her shadow in front of her, seated on a chair that looked like a throne. "Hello, Anna."

"What do you want?" She was angry. She was frustrated. She was helpless.

"I want you to realise who you are." It stood up from the throne, and reached out to touch her forehead.

The moment it's black fingers touched her forehead.

She saw images of her compatriots discussing her condition amongst themselves. It wasn't pleasant, and even discussed was whether to kick her out of the Black Spear.

One even said, "she's replaceable."

Her heart sank. Those were not the friends she remembered.

"Lies. It's all lies! These are fake!"

The shadow pulled it's arm away, and sat back down on the throne. "Humans are not trustworthy. You may not believe it now, but you will, soon enough."

She cried.

…

…

The royal library of Re Estize pales in comparison to Nazarick. For knowledge of the New World though, and perhaps this was one of the better source of information for old ruins, destroyed cities and forgotten lands.

As with Royal buildings, it is guarded by patrolmen stationed outside, and most patrolmen consider the library to be a relatively unlikely target, so most guards tend to slack off a little around here. The three story tall structure was built some 100 years ago, under the reign of the then King that wanted a proper place for him to keep the writings of his scholars, his generals, and also the gifts of foreign dignitaries.

For mere citizens, this is usually restricted place, on the invitation of the Royal family or a member of nobility.

But he, in the form of a small house fly, managed to slip into the library in the wee hours, through a tiny opening in the window. The library was absolutely empty at about midnight, and there was no guards inside whatsoever. Perhaps they never imagined a library would have any value for thieves, or they were confident in the ability of the guards outside.

Once inside he transformed back into his werewolf form, and started to search for what he wanted. He had heard that the library contained records of old ruins, legendary items that may possibly be world class items, or even monsters that may have originated from Yggdrasil. Comparing histories, was one way to greatly supplement one's understanding of the New World.

He found the maps section. Maps, rolled into large scrolls were stored along a row, before a large table where they were most likely laid open for viewing. Exactly what he needed.

Opening a wormhole to his inventory, he took the entire maps segment and stored into his inventory. Every single map was taken.. And then he took all the historical books too, of stories of legends, the accounts of the eight greed kings, the thirtheen heroes. All taken.

Then he used his detection magic to find books with magic imbued in them, which there are just a few, and took them as well.

In slightly over an hour, the entire second floor and third floor was almost emptied. Half the library was gone.

Happy at what he just managed to secure, he then teleported back to the teleportation beacon he set up inside his new chambers in the sewers.

There would be a lot of things to study. And he summoned creatures to help him with it.

…

…

It took about 3 days before there anyone discovered what had happened in the library. It seems very few people visited the library so the disappearance of the books did not get discovered immediately and the guards themselves do not patrol the inside of the library.

And it was the King himself, along with Gazef, that discovered that they had been raided. They merely wanted to look at some old maps of Re-Estize, and came to find a library that had none of it. An empty library.

The king was furious. Whilst they had copies of various maps stored in the cartographers chambers as well, the library held the original that was made few hundred years ago. There was a sentimental and historical value to them, and their loss enraged him.

"Guards!" He bellowed. The guards quickly rushed in and bowed before the King.

"Yes, your Majesty."

"Do you see what just happened here?" The guards were clueless. They rarely stepped foot into the third floor, but quickly noticed how bare it was. Even the maps that was displayed on the walls had disappeared. They gulped, a wrong word and they may lose their lives for dereliction of duty.

"My apologies, your Majesty."

The guards was immediately asked to explain themselves, and angry as the King may be, he knew they could not have stopped it even if they tried. Magic, was the first thing in his mind.

The adventurers' guild and the Royal guards was commissioned to investigate. A mithril ranked rogue was tasked to be the lead detective, though Gazef himself admired how it happened undetected. It was as if everything vanished. A large number of documents vanishing without a trace indicated some form of magical transportation. It was the only way he could imagine it.

There were no footsteps, and guards did not see anything over the past few days. No clear leads. The rogue was baffled, and certainly the motives were vague. He interviewed those familiar with the books whether there was something of magical properties that was worth stealing, and suspected perhaps it was an inside job. That notion was rather quickly dispelled when one of the junior nobles that came over weekly said that the maps and books are mostly historical records.

Perhaps a history geek? A bookworm? Or someone looking for forgotten stories? The rogue, Landri, was rather baffled. Money, is unlikely to be the motive.

There were some footsteps on the floor, but they were animals. And that did not make sense. Demihuman that do have animal like footsteps had never displayed a penchant for books and maps, and as far as he recalls, most animal hybrids do not even know how to read. There appeared to be some leftover fur too.

Princess Renner, along with Climb came over to survey the damage. It was very interesting that someone would steal the Royal library of old books and ignored the governmental statistics on the first floor. They surely had to see how it was done for themselves, and whether someone was giving them a warning that "he" or "they" or "it" can easily infiltrate the castle grounds.

"Why would someone steal maps and history books?"

"A foreigner most likely. Perhaps someone not of the region that's not familiar with it. Someone that wanted to know more of our country, and our history. And must have had incredible stealth ability to come in. And probably had some form of teleportation magic. Perhaps he or she, was looking for something from the times past."

"Fluder from the Empire?" Climb suggested, remembering that he had teleportation magic.

Gazef, who came earlier, bowed to the arriving princess, when he came downstairs from the third floor. "Your Majesty."

Other than Fluder, in terms of the qualities that Princess Renner had suggested, the mage that he encountered, Ainz Ooal Gown fits the bill. He too was a foreigner and had immense magical prowess and teleportation ability. Surely if he wanted to, raiding the library would not be a challenge at all. But he did not see why Ainz Ooal Gown would do so.

He kept his mouth shut anyway. Some servants that are around are also servants of the noble faction that would like to associate Gazef with a thief, even though he knew the noble faction cared very little for the books and maps in the library. In fact, it was quickly used as fodder to attack the royalist for being weak, incompetent and unable to protect some books from being stolen. How could you depend on them, if the royalist cannot even protect books?

"If it is magic as you say, orichalcum level adventurers are all suspected as well. They easily possess the ability to do such a raid, with their skills." The rogue suggested.

High ranked adventurers and mages of the city is immediately suspected, and the rogue sent out his colleagues to interview them and confirm if they had any idea or were nearby the castle at the time. Interviews were just the first phase, though. Next was to consider some kind of magical tracking of the stolen items.

All adamantium adventurers are to be interviewed too, though Princess Renner herself vouched for the Blue Rose, that they were with her over the past few days, and would certainly did not have to steal anything, since she would have given them access anyway. .

…

…

The news of the theft at the Royal library was heard even in the town of E Rantel. Most adventurers thought little of it, after all, books and maps can be rewritten and maps redrawn.

The adventurers Momon and Nabel was carrying out their regular adventurers duties of slaying monsters, when a rogue came over to the guild, and asked to interview them, asking where they were during the time of the theft.

"Im helping to clear some monsters from the Western ridges at that time, and if I remember correctly I never left the vicinity of E Rantel. You can approach the guild master. He commissioned the quest."

Inside, Ainz wondered whether this was Wololo's doing. After all, he was in the capital, and with his shapeshifting form, and how things just vanished, it certainly was within his capabilities.

"Thank you for your time, Momon-san. It's a pleasure to finally meet you and the lady Nabel in person. The kingdom's 3rd adamantium ranked adventurers, surely someone as upstanding as yourself would not have done such a thing." The rogue, Landri was not holding back on his compliments. Perhaps he mentally calculated some day he would need his help.

"You are welcome, Landri-san."

The guildmaster himself verified and attested that Momon was in the city of E-Rantel, protective of their town's hero.

Ainz knew Wololo was up to something, and felt a little excited. He remembered how he always kept some of his projects a secret from the guild, only for the surprise element later on when his latest creation was unveiled to them. Occasionally the guild members would stumble over him working at the project and he'd try very hard to hide them, like a boy desperately hiding his lewd stash from his mother.

He laughed at the thought, and told Narbarel after the rogue's interview. "I suspect Wololo-san is behind this. It's so like him. But please don't ask him and spoil his surprise. He probably wants it a secret before he shows it to us." He made a gesture as if implying a spectacular explosion. "Boom!" The he laughed again.

He recalled the time when Wololo made some kind of fireworks display that looked like the logo of Ainz Ooal Gown, and shot it over the tomb and all the nearby cities on New Year's Eve. It was simultaneously amazing, and at the same time, frightening, because it seemed like the entire world was exploding.

...

"Albedo-sama, I'm here for my weekly report." Narbarel messaged, alone in the room. Ainz had went out to see the town a while.

"This week we slayed some monsters made about 32 gold and 7 silvers in quest rewards. No unusual occurrences. Ainz-sama was really happy at the progress of things back in Nazarick, especially the progress with the lizardmen."

"Ah… it's what a good wife should do to keep the home in order. What else did Ainz-sama say about me?".

"That's all, Albedo-sama."

"Oh…." her wings drooped a little, as if expecting more praise from her master but didn't get it.

"Oh. We were interviewed by some scummy human rogue, suspecting us for stealing books and maps in the Royal capital. Ainz-sama said Wololo-sama is behind it, but told me to not mention it to Wololo-sama. He then said it is Wololo-sama's secret and when he shows it to us, it'll go "boom"."

"Wait. Repeat that again."

"Huh? Oh okay, Albedo-sama. Ainz-sama said he suspects Wololo-sama to be behind to books and maps theft in the capital. He said it's a secret and we should not ask Wololo-sama about it."

Albedo's mind scrambled to piece together why she heard and the discussions the two supreme beings were having previously. What are the maps for? Is Wololo-sama looking for a way to go back? Why is it a secret from us? Why is he hiding it?

She cannot allow it.

 _Ainz-sama cannot leave. Ainz-sama cannot leave her._

…

…


	6. Interlude 1 - The Nazarick competition

[short chapter between Ainz and Wololo]

Chapter 4.5 - The Supreme Beings' Challenge Events

It happened one night, Wololo couldn't sleep. His body and mind was still wide awake, and he felt the need to talk to someone.

He knew Ainz didn't sleep, as he in his undead form did not require sleep.

"Hey, Ainz-san. Are you still up?" He messaged the Elder Lich. It was already very late at night, and Wololo was in the form of a tiny squirrel perched on the spires of a city church, looking at the nightscape of the city. It's mostly dark, except near the palaces and noble mansions that are well lit. From up here, the gap between rich and poor is very clear.

"Oh, Wololo-san. What brings you to message me at this time?" Ainz was sat over his desk in his room, reading his secret manual to leadership. Ainz usually did some reading so that he could learn to better guide the guardians of Nazarick.

"I'd like to.. Offer you an idea." Wololo started… then paused a little while. "Actually its' more like a little game between the two of us."

"A game you say? Why?" Surely they don't really need a game, since they seem to be in one right now, but Ainz didn't add further, and merely closed the book in his hand, placed it onto the desk, and concentrated on what Wololo had come to ask of him.

"Yes, Ainz-san. You know, a friendly challenge amongst us. Truth be told, I feel we're just sending out feelers to this world, trying to get an idea what we're trying to do. But I think we're a little bit lost, a bit purposeless. And so this little competition between us two, should makes things fun. From what I've seen so far, we're doing okay, but I think we can push our brains a little more."

"Hmm.. " Ainz pondered what Wololo was suggesting, and it sounded like those corporate contests between teams in offices, where each department had to compete with each other. "So.. what sort of challenge are you suggesting?"

"I'm thinking of it being more like a series of events, something like those multi-game sports events, and the one that scores the most overall points win."

"Huh, you mean like Olympics? I'm going to get the inhabitants of Nazarick to compete in sports?"

"No, no. Not sports per se, though that may be one of the items on it."

"Hmm... But I wouldn't want any of us to risk our own lives, though. And fighting you would not be fun either, if you're thinking of a PVP kind of event."

"I am thinking of a PVP event, but just not fought by us, or more like.. None of the Yggdrasil inhabitants participate."

"OH?! I see what you're getting at. You mean we'll nominate maybe a team of people from this world to represent each of us in combat?" Ainz wondered the idea, and realised it had alot of benefits. He can never rely on the strength of Nazarick forever, and so he may need to start having people from this world to fight for it. Having a friendly match, between both Wololo and Ainz would be a good way to see who's better at training and cultivating a team of warriors.

"Any warriors or people of the new world is fine, right?" Ainz added, if his own intelligence shows, there are dragons, and other adamantium level adventurers that he could consider assimilating into this game.

"Yes. Anything. If you have dragons, or giants, that works too, so long as they identify themselves as your representative. But strictly no Yggdrasil mobs or guardians."

"Sounds good. When do we start?" Ainz already had a shortlist. He was thinking of the lizardmen, Hamsuke, and even some of the adamantium adventurers that he may somehow hire to participate in this little game of theirs.

"Let's have the first game, 1 year from now. It'll be a best of 5 warriors."

"Deal, Wololo-san. May the best trainer win." Ainz chuckled at saying that, reminding him of the many iterations of Pokemon he used to play in his younger days. This was almost exactly like that, only with creatures of the new world. He wondered whether Gazef would be willing to fight by his side.

"So that's the first event. Got any ideas for the 2nd and 3rd events, Ainz-san?" Ainz was actually pretty excited. A friendly match riled up the competitive spirit within him, that he had when PVP-ing.

"Something not directly fighting related then, something that used our other skillsets. Maybe like.. Finding the most valuable new world item. So if I get a legendary item, and you find a divine item, you win. If we can get independent appraiser to judge, that would be fine."

Again, it made sense. A competition to gather valuable items in this world would greatly boost their own strength and the stability of their power in this world. It also feeds the hoarding instinct that every obsessive mmo-er had in their personality, so a quest to get the most valuable items was both a fantastic strategic objective, and fed a personal obsession.

Wololo thought this favored him, since as a blacksmith he could easily make items up to the legendary class, and the problem was shifted away from finding legendary items, but instead shifted to gathering the materials needed to do so. But perhaps Ainz has his own ways of getting ahead in this game. "What if I make them? Entirely out of new world materials."

"Ah. Good point… I think as long as it's made in this world, of this world's items, and not a copy of an existing Yggdrasil item, that's fine. So you'll have to invent something new, no? I too have some ability in creating items, and would like to see whether those applied in this world."

Ah, so that shifted it slightly. To win this, Wololo would have to research and experiment with new materials to create items that are unique to this world. Doable, since it's well within his skillset.

"Very well Ainz-san, since you've given me the advantage, I'd be stupid to turn it down. Best of 5 items again? We'll have a scoring system for each grade?"

"Yes Wololo-san, each grade up is worth twice as much as the one before it."

"Okay. That settles the 2nd event."

Should a common peasant overhear the conversation, it would sound as if it was the gods were challenging each other to a game, nominating their own "champions", and gathering their own "treasures" to show off to each other.

Now they needed a tiebreaker. Something both were not very good at, but a relevant skill that both of them would need. They had covered military strength on the first event, magics and adventuring skills on another, and perhaps the third one should be some kind of economics event, which neither of them have a clear edge.

"How about who can hoard the most gold?" Wololo suggested.

"No. I don't like that idea."

"How about building a dungeon?"

"Interesting, but how do we judge the winner of the dungeon?" Ainz wondered, but in his mind he was considering a few possibilities.

Perhaps both of them build a dungeon, and see who's dungeon take the longest to clear. They could nominate their team of 5 to it, but then Ainz realised the team of 5 that both of them would spend a lot of time training would probably be brutally killed by the kinds of monsters and traps they'd both deploy to defend their own dungeons. A team of 5, even, would be too small a team to raid the kind of massive labyrinthine dungeons they'd both build, and that wouldn't be fun giving them restrictions of dungeons that only needed 5 people to clear

"Good point."

"Have you played games like those simulation cities? Perhaps those where you raise a nation?" Ainz suggested, but he actually wanted to take the words back after he said it. It's probably that leadership book he's reading that's giving him this sort of weird ideas of running a country. Well, he had been outsourcing his responsibilities of running Nazarick to Albedo, and merely played the role of a figurehead.

"Are you suggesting we both start our own countries?" Wololo wondered. It'd probably be doable given how absurdly powerful they both are in this world. "Well, okay. But are we going to see who's going to conquer each other?"

They both realised that wasn't what they wanted. If anything, this competition should enhance their strength and secure their position in the new world, and invading each other would not be a friendly competition at all.

"No, no no. I think invading each other would defeat the purpose of this event, Wololo-san." Ainz wondered, but there were other ways to score city building games. He recalled those mobile games that were the craze, where cities would have a value based on their

"How about we decide who wins by the population size. Who gets to 10,000 new world creatures first wins?"

"What if I just annex a nearby city and claim it as mine?"

"That works, but you must grow it by 10,000. But that means say if you took over a town with 26,000, you must lead it to 36,000 people. And it doesn't include summoned creatures or Yggdrasil creatures. And no forced relocation by conquering multiple towns and merging them together?"

"We should be allowed to do that."

"Hmmm.. I'll need to think of a strategy for this. Or how about if we calculate how much net population growth we get after 1 year? Though that'll be a lot more administratively difficult to calculate."

In Ainz's mind, if the war option was ruled out, he figured it'll be a demi-human settlement, perhaps goblins that breed quickly. All he would have to do is set up some kind of food transfer mechanism. Goblins were a lot easier to manage too, given that his very presence would strike fear into them.. If war was permitted, he'd have some kind of army and take over the rest of the cities and just relocate all of them together. That would be a swift victory.

"No, how about multiple win conditions, say 20,000 people, and an army of 1,000? And must be self sustaining and does not depend on Nazarick's resources." Wololo suggested.

Sounds doable, though a little complicated. A standing army of 1,000 is tiny, and a population of 20,000 is little more than a basic town.

"Should we also decide this within 1 year? That means it won't be natural birth and growth, isn't it?" Ainz was referring to the fact that population takes a long time to grow, and 1 year isn't going to cut it if they wanted to really see how well they are measuring their performance in managing long term prosperity.

"Yes, 1 year. But we'll roll it over as the base, for subsequent year's challenge." In Wololo's mind, he felt this was one he was going to lose. The kind of settlement he had in mind probably wouldn't even pass the condition he had set for the event, at least for this year. But he had to set higher standards for themselves, and he will have to figure out how he will deliver on those targets.

"You sure think we're going to be here for a while, eh?" Ainz smiled, if his skeletal face could.

"EH, Ainz-san. We've been here for 3 months, and I think we'll be here a lot longer. Might as well give ourselves some long term targets."

"This last event's going to be a little challenging to find out the winner. But it would be good for us, as a whole to be able to manage a city."

"Agreed, so let's not have this event count for this year. Let's say we make this an event in the future, maybe in 5 years." Wololo suggested.

"Deal. But we'll still need a tiebreaker this year."

"Chess. Let's have our cities send their best chess player, and whoever wins, wins."

"I'm not sure whether they have chess in this world."

"Fine, let's have an archery competition instead."

"No."

"A horse race."

Both of their eyes lit up, as if suddenly they heard something they were both interested in.

"That's a very good suggestion. I'll go with a horse race. We can even make use of our existing coliseum."

"Then it is decided. A horse race. Should we restrict breeds? Magical unicorns, bicorns, Pegasus included?"

"New world horses, only."

A horse race. That reminded him of old history books and history classes where animals were often bred for racing. It was a social event, flamboyant with fascinating hats and dresses. It came complete with cocktail parties, singing concerts and performances, and the whole red carpet extravaganza.

"Should we let the floor guardians know about this?" Ainz asked, realised the odds would be stacked against Wololo if he did, since he had first hand access over the guardians' information and with their help, it may not quite be a fair competition between the two.

"I'm not too sure. I think their skills will be useful, but maybe we should nominate only one guardian to help each of us? And to what extent can they help with training the warriors? Wouldn't be quite fair if more guardians are helping either one of us."

"Hmm… that's a tricky question. Perhaps we can only train them up to 4th tier spells, and up to say.. Level 40-50? I think level 40-50 was where some of the top adventurers in this world are at." Ainz said, gauging from the relative level of experience that was required to be Adamantium class adventurers, and what he'd seen from Gazef's own combat abilities.

"Fair enough, level 50 cap, 4th level spells. One guardian to assist each of us in training warriors, finding treasures, horse racing and managing cities. But what if we find creatures that exceed that level?"

"By training, we only train up to that level. Beyond that, the warrior is on their own."

"Very well. So we now have our events. May the best man win."

"Yes. Let's get to it."

Both Wololo and Ainz now face a separate issue. _Which guardian to assist them._

The 4 challenges they have all require different skillsets. Cocytus, Sebas and Shalltear are quite suited for training warriors, but Demiurge and Albedo is fantastic at managing complexity and gathering information with their intelligence, and it's most suited for the city management and the treasure hunting event, or Aura and Mare who are natural druids and probably had the edge at the horse event, and probably would also be able to assist with the treasure hunting.

"So Ainz-san, can I leave the announcement to the floor guardians to you?"

"No, we should do it together. Anyway Wololo-san, have you decided who you want to be your assistant guardian?"

"I'd probably like to pick either Sebas, Aura or Demiurge. Albedo's in love with you, so I won't pick her." Wololo winked, and Ainz covered his face in embarrassment at what he had did previously.

"In fact, you probably should pick Albedo, or she'll be really really annoyed that her beloved Ainz-sama did not select her for the task. You've already spurned her by not letting her be your companion for Momon's journeys." Wololo was really adding salt to the wound.

If Ainz was human, his face would be red from embarrassment now. Instead he could only cover his face with his two undead palms and let out a remorseful sigh. And the memories of his reckless editing of Albedo's attributes keep flashing before his eyes.

Wololo was right, of course. He could not select anyone else other than Albedo for their challenge. Hell hath not a woman spurned.

"What about prizes?" Ainz asked. What do each of them get if they win?

"I'll give you one of my divine class items. Or maybe just bragging rights, really." Both Wololo and Ainz shared a laugh. Bragging rights, was good enough, because winning is really something everyone loved.

With that, the game is on.


	7. Chapter 5

[Edit : thanks for the reviews! It's really a stream of consciousness kind of thing. I'm just putting whatever I think will be cool to be in.]

Chapter 5

Ainz was presented with a dilemma. Whether to continue as Momon, or to now direct his energies fully to the little game that he now plays, or how will Momon's quest change in order to better fit the objectives they have set for themselves. Momon's presence as an adventurer is very useful for the 2nd mission, of locating and obtaining high quality high value artifacts and items that are native to the New World, and also probably useful for the 3rd one, where they seek out the best horses in the New World. Perhaps he could ask for a horse as a prize, should he perform certain missions, though that would probably lead him away from E-Rantel to somewhere where horses are more commonly found.

So one day, after the day's briefing with Albedo ended, "Albedo, I've got some questions for you…"

Albedo smiled, "Yes, Ainz-sama. I'll answer any question you ask. Is it something naughty?" Her smile transformed into something a little cheeky, and a little sinister.

"Uh, no. Has any reports come back on any cities or towns that are not under the larger nations, any reports of valuable artifacts, or perhaps… good quality horses?"

"No, Ainz-sama. Nothing worth your time so far. What we've found so far in this new world is unworthy of your greatness."

"Is that so…" Ainz shrugged. They've yet to announce their competition to the rest of Nazarick, so they may not know why it is relevant to them yet. "How far has our scouts gone?"

"Sebas and Solution is arriving at Re-Estize. Cocytus is still researching the lizardmen that we found near the lake, Aura and Mare is clearing the great forest of Tob for the fake Nazarick construction. Shalltear and Demiurge are in Nazarick, Demiurge is experimenting with all the humans that we have captured, and with the items we have retrieved from all the missions your greatness has done so far."

"I see." Ainz did not really want to interrupt the guardians that are so busy doing work. He'll need to figure out a better time to communicate their game, and so decided he'll wait a little longer. He looked over the papers that are in front of him, and wondered who Albedo got to prepare such beautiful reports. Perhaps it's the maid, or is it her own handwriting? "Albedo, is this your handwriting?"

Albedo looked at the report, "Yes it is, Ainz-sama."

"It's beautiful." He pointed at the report, admiring her lovely calligraphy. It even smells a little fragrant.

She blushed, her wings fluttered. "Thank you, Ainz-sama. I'll write anything for you every day if you so wish it."

"Oh, that won't be necessary. I do not want to add more work to your already heavy burden."

 _Hmm, if Albedo is selected to be my assistant, who will be responsible for the administration of Nazarick? On that front, I think Demiurge can also handle it, or perhaps Pandora's Actor?_

Albedo looked at Ainz curiously, "It's not like that, Ainz-sama. We love to serve you."

Ainz probably would have had a migraine if he was still human. He has not quite come to terms with how whole-heartedly the guardians are willing to serve him. It's unreal, and impossible in reality. In reality, it's always a game of tit-for-tat, a game of tradeoffs. And if he were to get New World servants, he figured they'd be more like humans, and less like the guardians.

"Is there anything more I can do for you, Ainz-sama? Please do let us know, we really mean it."

"Oh. Nothing else. That's all, Albedo. Thank you for your hard work."

"Anything for you, Ainz-sama." Albedo bowed, and left the room.

 _What do I do now?_

* * *

The chambers has changed much since the day he claimed it. It is now well lit, thanks to the goblin worker that installed various lights throughout the chambers and the paths that led to it. The chamber itself had gotten a fresh layer of brown earthy paint, and now looks neat and almost regal. It's beginning to look quite fitting as a home.

There is a few cabinets that was used to store the stolen books, and a large table that was used to display the maps that he had acquired. The first thing he ordered since getting hold of the maps was to summon some helpers, who was then tasked to decipher the maps and books. The summoned helpers are eight dark elves, and they worked day and night for five days to come up with some findings.

Next step, after the maps and books were combed for potential areas of interest, is to send out scouts to those shortlisted areas. Since sending out birds that flew out of the city itself was a little suspicious, it was done on the outskirts. On a hill at the outskirts of Re-Estize, he summoned 20 grey owls and 20 black crows, and sent them to each of the shortlisted areas. Those shortlisted were mostly old ruins, and old cities that had seen destruction.

There was also a dormant volcano far from the kingdom, that had erupted few hundred years ago and sent out a cloud of smoke and dust that darkened the skies for weeks. Though there were no cities nearby, being a smith looking for materials and perhaps rare minerals, it was a logical place to go to. So that was sent to as well.

And there was one that he was most interested in, the destroyed elven city of Hayel, now partially submerged underwater, thanks to a devastating war that redirected a river to run through the forest city. History had it that the city once had 100,000 elves and various monsters that once lived together, in service of the reigning elven king. Though conflict with humans and other demihumans eventually brought it ruin, certainly a reminder that good times never last.

Magic in this world, exists in various forms. Magic is generated by places, things, and people, and at the same time it influences them in a kind of feedback loop that plays out over the generations. The concentration of people generates certain types of energies, which then manifests in the children born in those areas having certain benefits, this is the specialisation effect. This specialisation effect, in long periods of time, then feeds back the same energies into the magic of the land, making it stronger. There is also the negative kind, where high amount of undeads will fuse to form higher level undeads. Perhaps it is the death it has seen, or it's glory those many years ago, that he suspects magic may exist in higher concentrations there.

The magical streams that flowed through the sewers had a purplish hue to them, it swirls and thickens around the orb that now forms the key to that power. The magic here isn't in very intense concentrations, but is still sufficient to sustain a small dungeon.

After holding onto the orb and using it a few times, it seemed as if the dungeon has some rudimentary sentience. Or the more appropriate term, is that the dungeon has some kind of self management AI, the displays itself in the form of the wispy voice that talked to him. The AI sets the spawn rate of the dungeons' spiders, the spawn points, calculates available coins for use to replenish traps, or resummon higher tier defenses, and even generates a report on how much the dungeon is earning via sewer harvesting vs how much it is spending for maintenance. It's really like a game interface of a real time strategy game. It also has an overview of the entire structure that sort of reflects itself like a game minimap, that can be improved by spending coin (duh). It seems even in this world, the perils of paid upgrades exists.

The elven partially-sunken city was going to be his first visit since the scouts were sent out. The humans of the capital are still searching for the books, and seems to be headed towards outside of town. Rumors on the street suggested that it was stolen by other countries, though he suspected there is a political swordplay going on with the type of rumors that are floating about.

The sewers, with both Arana and Gabbadar should be relatively safe, but they might be overwhelmed by the sheer number of attackers some day. But the human tendency of sending smaller groups of scouts before sending in the actual army, should give him enough time for the defences to warn him, and for him to retreat, teleport back and reinforce the dungeon with his summoned monsters.

He also configured the AI of the dungeon to send him a message if an intruder gets to level 3 of the dungeon. Sort of like an alarm that calls the cops when intruded. It's something that really makes life managing dungeons relatively easy, though Wololo did wonder whether these conveniences the dungeon has, is tied to his skill as a max level dungeon keeper. Maybe he should check with Ainz whether he has similar user-friendly interfaces for Nazarick. But some other time.

He teleported to the valley of the former elven city, alone. It is now mostly overgrown forests, and one half of it submerged underwater. The river that ran through here was once smaller, but the enemies of the then figured out how to redirect smaller streams into this one, creating a flood that destroyed the elven defenses, opening them to both attacks, and also new diseases brought about by floods that weakened them gradually.

The bird that he had sent here earlier to scout out the place the landed on his shoulders, and then disappeared into dust in a poof. The dust then swirled around Wololo and somehow merged into him, as if it was one and the same.

Through the dust, it gave Wololo a bird's eye view of what it earlier saw, of the monsters that appear here, a detailed view of the terrain, of the shape of the lake, and of the kind of temperate plants that generally grow here.

It's cold. Much colder than the Kingdom's capital of Re-Estize, probably a property of it's higher altitudes and the cold winds that blow ever so often here. The natural vegetation appears to be pine trees and junipers that appear resistant to cold, and although the lake did submerge large parts of the old city, it did not quite develop into a swamp. The old elven structures are mostly gone too, but there seemed to be some stone structures that still remain, and those are where he is headed to.

[Summon : Fenrir]

A level 70 doom wolf about the size of a fully grown lion, with natural affinity to cold and the ability to radiate a frost aura. It even temporarily turns naturally warm places into mild winters, when it walks past, thanks to its vast frost aura. Wololo too, [shapeshifted] himself into his Werewolf form, which has higher natural resistance to such colder weathers. The pack of 2, comprising Wololo the Werewolf and Fenrir then headed towards the nearest ruins.

The first of the ruins is a collapsed temple, and it looked like it was destroyed some 200-300 years ago. The carvings on the temple walls and columns suggested it worshipped some kind of tree god, or perhaps the tree of knowledge, and had carvings of people kneeling before it and giving it gifts. The temple grounds now has large trees growing in various spots, instead of a clear spaces that templates usually have, but none resembled the huge tree depicted in the carvings.

It was then, a brown bear appeared, similar in appearance to that of a giant grizzly bear. And another, from behind one of the rocks and rubble. The bears' eyes glowing red, the two bears bared its large fangs and radiated a fearsome bloodlust, or perhaps it's just hunger. He judged the two bears to be about level 20 to 30, its' bear hide had streaks of black and red that blended into the brown fur, probably resistant to slicing and pierce weapons. And they entered into a charging stance, about to charge at the two wolves.

But the doom wolf had the advantage, as Fenrir roared, and both the bears froze. An bluish ice shell had instantly encapsulated both bears, and after about 15 seconds, the ice shells shattered, and the bears then collapsed lifeless. It was Fenrir's [ice cage]. After they retrieved the leftover bear hide (which he stored into his massive magical inventory from the beyond), and they then proceeded underground. Nothing. The underground was just a room that's covered in dirt.

The next ruins was a little further away, and the 2 wolves met a few more bears along the way. Posing little challenge, it reminded him of grinding for creeps back int he MMOs.

The next ruins looked like it was once a castle of some kind. The lower part of the castle is partially submerged by the waters of the lake but there was a door that looked like it once had a drawbridge over it, as the old drawbridge lay collapsed in the waters down below, partially rotten away. Fenrir roared, and a bridge of ice formed to link their land to the door. The ice also shattered the door itself, opening it wide for them.

Inside, they were attacked by giants. These giants were 3 meter tall, hugely muscular and well built humanoids. There were 3 of them, sat over some rocks and appear to be eating what looked like bear meat when they spotted the 2 wolves. They wore bear hides, and their skins seemed to have large scars all over them. They had clubs (which were essentially logs), that they swung at them with their massive strength, creating a gust of wind that pushed things away, even if it didn't actually land.

They were also about level 20-30, but were faster than the bears, and had armor.

Perhaps they were surprised that a wolf entered their "castle".

"GIANTS, STOP." Wololo roared, radiating a massive aura [Fear Aura III].

To further disable them, Fenrir created an ice sheet that froze all 3 giant's lower body, making them unable to move.

The giants grunted, and tried to shake themselves out of the ice, but Fenrir's ice prove too strong for them. Wololo then walked over to one of the giants that looked like he was the eldest of the three. "Do you talk, Giant?"

The giant tried to swing it's log at Wololo, with its unfrozen arm. Perhaps fighting, is the only talk they understand. _A pity, really._

He blocked it easily with his right armlet, and then the log shattered. Fenrir then manipulated the ice sheet that covered their lower half expanded to cover the entire giant, suffocating them and freezing them to death.

Wololo took a better view of the courtyard of the castle. It had seen better days, with its walls falling apart at various sections, the floor itself uneven, and some parts covered in debris. The castle towers too had mostly collapsed from the ages. There was a hall, a little bit further into the courtyard, the outside of the hall now covered in bear bones and waste, probably thrown away by the giants who had the bears as food.

The hall door had long been broken, the door braces bent out of shape. The giants had expanded the door to fit their size.

Inside, 2 more giants. Around the hall, there were 4 makeshifts beds, made out of bear hides.

Seeing how none of the giants were interested in conversation other than clubbing, Fenrir froze them to death as well. _Nothing of value in the hall_ , Wololo sighed.

There was a stairs that led downstairs, but its flooded with lakewater. Leaving the hall, they checked the rest of the castle and found nothing. Almost all things of value was gone, and what's left is really just rubble. Perhaps adventurers in the past few hundred years have cleared these ruins.

The third ruin, was a vast empty area that's littered with obelisks and various statues. Most of them are broken, though some still remain. The statues and obelisks are mostly mutilated, robbed of the gems and irons that used to be embedded into them.

At the center of it, was a tree. About 40 meters in high, it was easily the largest tree they've seen so far in the area, and probably was a beautiful tree in it's prime. Now, it is a dying tree. The tree's barks were massively damaged, with axe marks all over it, and one side of it looked like it was burnt by an intense flame, all charred black. It no longer had any green leaves, it's top all barren. There were various broken branches scattered all over the floor. Perhaps long ago, this tree would have been the focus of the entire garden, but now, it's dying state merely amplified the death and negativity in it.

Wololo and Fenrir approached the dying tree, attempting to touch it, then a large serpent appeared, from within the tree itself.

[ACID BREATH]

It instantly spit some kind of greenish venom at the two of them, which was blocked by a wall of ice that Fenrir generated. The greenish venom melted the ice, but the two wolves are safe, undamaged by the venom that was sprayed at them.

The serpent was about 20 meters in length, and had rough scales that looked more like thick armor than serpentine scales. Light brown in color, it had deep green eyes with yellow slits, and it hissed at them. It entered into a striking stance, like a cobra waiting to pounce.

It spat the venom again, and Fenrir blocked with wall of ice, whereas Wololo himself casted [Fireblast] which incinerated the venom. The serpent flung it's tail at them, and Wololo parried with his right armlet again. Though he successfully blocked it, the impact was massive and pushed him a meter or so, creating a line on the ground.

The serpent scales were armor-like substances, and in essence, it was immune to most common weapons. So simple weapons was not going to work.

Fenrir activated [Freeze aura IV], which froze the surrounding 100 meters in ice. The serpent too was caught in it, and had some ice form on its skin, but it was still able to shake it off and move, and attacked with its tail again.

Wololo parried, and casted [Massive Enchant Armor], [Massive Speedburst] and [Massive Enchant Weapon], and leaped towards its head, with his glowing magic hammer in hand.

[Thundersmash].

The serpent dodged it, and instead he hit the leftover skin of the serpent, which then disintegrated. Fenrir though managed to them create ice around the serpent, slowing it down. And he charged again.

[Thundersmash]

And this time, with Fenrir's ice gripped onto the serpent, he hit it squarely on its head, passing a massive jolt of thunder through the serpent, that seared the inner organs of the serpent. The serpent though, was not dead yet.

It spit out a pool of venom at Wololo.

[Deflection]

The venom was redirected midair and landed on the ground, and sizzled as it dissipated.

Fenrir roared, and three massive swords of ice landed on the serpent, piercing it at it's tip, the center, and near the head. Still not dead yet, Wololo grabbed his hammer, and smacked the serpent on its head again with [Thundersmash]. The serpent, weakened, tried to lift its head to counterattack. And he hit it another time with [Thundersmash].

Then the head of the serpent exploded, scattering its innards everywhere on the icy floor.

He then harvested the serpents remains for its' scales, its venom pouch, its massive fangs, and even collected some of its blood. He'll figure out what to do with them once he gets back.

*kraaaaaaaaaaak*

Then, a loud crack was heard from the dying tree.

The large tree that was dying, was finally dead. The death of the serpent somehow caused the tree to split in half, a huge rift breaking it from the root upwards. Perhaps, the serpent was the last magical link to the tree, and it kept the tree alive. The tree's branches that was already bare, started to turn into dust, and everything turned to dust, and the disintegration spread downwards to the trunk, and after about 5 minutes, the entire tree was gone.

At the place where the tree once stood though, was a clear green gem, about the size of a clam. He approached it, and then casted the spell [Greater Appraise Item].

The clear green gem, was not a weapon, nor did it give any magical properties. It was some kind of magical seed. It's ability read. "A seed. Plant in land, and watch the Tree grow." He then kept it in his inventory, and set out for the next and final ruin, the only tower that still did not collapse.

The tower was located on the lake, it's lower part submerged underwater. There was a window at the very top, and that was the only opening.

With [Mass Flight], both Wololo and Fenrir entered the tower from the top.

It's a rather narrow tower, with a circular stairs that slowly wind downwards. Inside the tower, there were crows and various birds that made the place their nest, safe from the land animals that prey on them.

And sadly, even further down the tower, there was only birds, and more bird poop. And really, really, a lot of old, hardened poop, collected over the ages.

Perhaps it could be a tourist site some day.

* * *

Sebas had arrived with Solution to the city of Re-Estize, disguised as a noble lady from foreign lands, and her attendant butler. They rented a mansion in a fancy part of town, as their "home" whilst they go about their business.

Part of Albedo's instructions earlier, was for Sebas to meet up with Wololo-sama who had arrived here earlier to start a career as an enchanter. The details of their roles and how they are to behave in their "character" as butler and enchanter, had yet to be further discussed, but they should be able to figure it out once they meet and discuss it over.

Of course, one of the challenges with Wololo-sama, is often finding him. With his constant shapeshifting and various animal forms, he could easily be the cockroach by the roadside and everyone would have missed him. Part of the qualities of being a shapeshifter means he can naturally mask his presence, and detecting him via magical means is also a bit difficult.

It's generally just easier to [Message] Wololo-sama and agree a meet up point afterwards.

"Wololo-sama, we've arrived at Re-Estize. Please allow us to attend to you."

"Ah, Sebas. It's okay. I am sufficiently well attended to. I have my companions here with me."

"Oh…. But…"

"No buts, Sebas. I do not need to be attended to… OH! Since you're here, I can give you a tour of my new home."

"New home, Wololo-sama?"

"Yes Sebas. Come to the border of the merchant quarters and the central square tonight. We will meet under the bridge."

That night, both Sebas and Solution waited at the bridge. It's late and there was no one left on the streets, except the 2. The sewer entrances was just next to them, and it stank a little. Solution, being a slime, did not mind the smell at all though.

After about 15 minutes of waiting, a human emerged from the sewers. "Sebas, and Solution. Here!" Wololo waved at them in his human form, and they walked over and followed him into the sewers.

"What is this place, Wololo-sama?"

"The capital's sewers. It leads further in from here. Don't mind the critters, they are generally harmless." They eventually passed the first level and into the second, and larger spiders started appearing. Though they wanted to attack both Sebas and Solution that the dungeon's defense system do not recognise, Wololo was able to order them to stand down.

They passed the lower level 3 shafts, and then into the main chamber that is decorated with the stolen maps.

"We're here. The main chamber of the sewers." Wololo then pointed over to Arana who was polishing her sword. "And that's Arana. The spider queen that I've converted. Then that's Gabbadar, the assigned guardian of this sewer's key." Gabbadar and Arana both stood and bowed at the visitors, noticing the guests their master had brought.

Sebas and Solution looked around the chambers, impressed that Wololo-sama had so quickly built a small force around himself, and had even claimed a dungeon. Such is the nature of supreme beings, their abilities beyond imagination.

Wololo brought them to a seating area with some sofas, and then they went on about what they have seen so far in their travels, the maps and stories they read from the stolen books, and the knowledge they had acquired.

In Wololo's mind, it was never a secret. It just that he got too engrossed with the next step to take that he forgets to update the inhabitants of Nazarick, so he did not realise that his forgetfulness of sharing news and findings with Nazarick will bring future troubles.

Back in the rented mansion after their meet up with the supreme being, Solution then said.

"The sewers are cozy. I would prefer to be there than this human mansion. It's almost like a really really tiny Nazarick."

"Ah. Yes. If we did not have to keep up a facade as a travelling nobles, we should use the sewers. It can easily accommodate us. Anyway let us get to work tomorrow on gathering information and the magic of this world. Wololo-sama has shared plenty of what he knows of the capital city."

* * *

Anna ran.

She couldn't take it any more. How everyone looked at her with pitiful eyes. How disappointed they look. How helpless she felt.

She cursed at how unfortunate she had cursed at the ring that she took from the mines, at her own greed, at her negligence of not checking and properly appraising the equipment before equipping them.

She ran into the forests. She was angry. She was sad. Conflicted. Confused.

She wanted to kill herself. There was a cliff somewhere she could jump from.

But she froze before it. The shadows did not let her. It held onto her body, gripping her with tendrils that looked like vines.

"Death, is not the answer, Anna."

"How is this pathetic life better than death? I've lost my friends, my purpose!"

"You should embrace it. Why do you fear me, your very own shadow so much?"

"Let me go!"

"OH Anna, Anna. There is a way you can free yourself from me, and it is not death. "

Anna froze. "Huh?" and she turned around to look at the shadows. "What do you mean? Why didn't you say so earlier?"

"You never asked." the shadow shrugged somehow with its shoulders. "You are in debt, Anna. Once you pay your debts, you are free. Free, from me."

"Debt? Who do I owe? What is it that I owe?"

The shadow smiled.

"Think of me, as your banking agent. When you stole the ring, you are now in debt to the bank ,and now you must work to pay back your debt, to atone for your foolishness."

Anna gulped. She did not like the idea very much. It sounded like how young children was often sold into slavery to pay for their parents recklessness. But if this was a path out, she should at least hear it.

"You shall serve the bank, and if you succeed at what the bank ask of you, your debt will shrink." A magical bar appeared on top of the shadow. "This is your debt." The shadow pointed to it. Then a number appeared next to it. It read 800.

"Why 800? What have I done to get such an amount. What is 800 worth?"

"Stole the ring. 200 points. Saved your life when you tried to kill yourself. 600." Anna felt regret instantly for her recklessness.

 _So how does this work?_

"The bank will present you with a set of missions. 3, in fact. Before you start the mission you will clearly see how much debt will be cleared if you complete it. Its sort of like being an adventurer, except you serve the bank now."

Anna and the shadow walked down the steps and she tried to think about what she had just been presented. She wondered whether the odds were fair and whether its set up such that she will never be able to pay it back.

 _Isn't this making a deal with the devil?_

She read the 3 missions that the shadow presented before her. They appears in the form of 3 separate floating pieces of paper.

 _1\. Kill the guildmaster of this city. 80 points._

 _2\. Steal the mayor's key to the treasury. 60 points_

 _3\. Move to Slane Theocracy's city. 40 points._

She gulped at reading all 3 of the missions, realising that she had indeed sold herself to the devil, but decided the last of the 3 missions was the most "reasonable" of them. But she knew this was just the first of many, and if she wants her freedom, she would have to go along with it.

"Do I have to accept the last mission, or do I just go ahead and do it, then it'll disappear by itself?"

"You have to accept. Just touch the 3rd mission with your fingers."

She lightly tapped what looked like a floating piece of paper about the move to the Slane Theocracy, and then the other two papers burned away before her eyes.

 _"Oh well, what choice do I have? This guy isn't going to let me die anyway."_

Perhaps the priests of Slane Theocracy will be able to banish this evil that has taken over her, and deciding that's the best overall choice, she went back to the inn, packed her little belongings and left in the middle of the night.

…

…


	8. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Sorry for not updating. Been busy and trying to figure out where to take this story.

* * *

Slaves.

The slave trade was once massive throughout the human kingdoms, as it grew along with human expansion throughout the world. This "business" of transacting in the lives of other beings grew as humankind started conquering more and more demi-human lands, capturing the survivors and defenseless, enslaving them and various tasks and also manual labor. It's perhaps the way with the dominant, "superior" species to force those less powerful to serve, as with how humans made animals work for them.

Slaves, are traded. Sold for cash, sold for land, sold for right about anything. Perhaps here, slaves are even offered as payment to adventurers, should they choose to accept them. Maybe they've become a currency in itself, since labour is something that's somewhat constant in this world. It is still unclear to him, whether the Theocracy officially engages in this trade of flesh and blood, but no matter. In his plan, slaves play a very important role.

There are slave markets in the Slane Theocracy, and he was here to buy some, from the cash he had accumulated from the days providing enchantment services in the land of Re-Estize. He had managed to amass a respectable sum of about 400 gold coins since then, and he was feeling a little rich.

The rates of the slaves varied significantly from the race of the slave, the features of the slave, as beautiful elves are often sold for much more than the ordinary captured men, whom are often treated as cheap labor for farms or sweatshops. There were a few captured goblins and ogres, as well. How their owners keep them around since they had such physical strength, usually enough to smash any normal human? Well, they had a kind of cheap magical choker placed over their necks, that sends them a huge pain that responds to human voices.

Ah. It's really quite brutal, and reminded of how heteromorphs such as himself were treated when they were beginners. He had not levelled up his shapeshifter abilities back then, so was stuck in a werewolf form. Hunted, chased, PK-ed.

"Trash."

That's how they treated heteromorphs. Nothing more than animals to be hunted for amusement.

"Sorry sir, I'm afraid I can only offer these "trash" elves to you. Higher quality ones have fully been sold." A random slave merchant spoke, and it was then Wololo realised he had unintentionally voiced out what he remembered. "These trash are sold for 5 gold pieces each. If you buy 10 I'll give you a discount of 1 gold piece for each slave. We do not provide warranties, however. So if they die the next day after cash is paid, it's out of our hands."

"Trash." He meant the merchant, this time around, mocking the way the merchant described the paraded elves, ogres, goblins and dwarves as if they are but animals, or more like goods with no return policy.

But the merchant remained oblivious. "I"m sorry sir, if these trash do not interest you, may I interest you in something else?"

And what would that be?

The merchant then smiled, "Would you like some women instead?"

 _Hmmm..._

The thought crossed his mind, of women in compromising situations, forced against their will. _Argh what am I thinking!_ He felt slightly disgusted at himself this time around, for considering women like trash too.

"No, thanks."

Never mind, he forced those unsavory thoughts to the deepest corner of his mind. He had came to see what the slave markets is like, and he had seen enough for the day.

The next stop was the temples of the Slane Theocracy. The religion here is split across 6 gods, a polytheistic structure where each god plays its own role in the world. Finding out more of the force that seemed to be most militaristic and with the most powerful army in this world seemed like the sensible choice, though.

* * *

All they needed was the authorisation of the Princess, and their commissioner. The bounty of the King has been published, and many the greedy adventurer have readily taken up the cause. The hunt for the stolen maps and books, was on.

But unlike the others, the Blue Rose had assistance. A special kind of magic.

And somehow it matched Renner's hunch. The princess suspected the stolen items have not yet left the capital, as earlier speculated by the rogue and the rest of the investigation team, and so they approached a seer that resides in the capital, to get a sense of where it would be .

The seer, though unable to give exact locations, was able to confirm that the items stolen, some have remained in within the city confines. That idea, though, was dismissed by the other investigators, who viewed the seer's views as some kind of fake magic that relied on reading facial emotions to let people know what they wanted to hear subconsciously.

"It's most likely in the sewers."

Why did the Princess Renner had such a hunch?

Because she felt anyone who wanted it, would probably wanted to study it right away. The type of maps were mostly on history, old stories, myths and legend, and if the intention is truly that, they probably would be looking for something, and were pressed for time. And so it probably would not have been brought or transported very far.

The person who stole it probably used magic, and was decently capable at that. So the task can only be left to none other than the Blue Rose.

It's bright and sunny, daytime.

The theft happened at night, so as a measure of safety, they expected their opponent to be weaker in the day. And the storming of the sewer will happen now.

"Let's go!" Lakyus signalled her team to go.

They blitzed past the first floor of the sewers, and easily found the entrance to the second floor, where the Wololo's dungeon starts.

"Spiders."

No matter, they easily crushed any spider resistance, and quickly followed the path to the third level below, where they noticed the better lighting and decorations, and the fresh layer of paint.

The third level too, was relatively easy. The spiders that were no more than level 10 was easily crushed by the overwhelming might of the full team of Blue Rose.

"This is too easy. Are you sure it's here?"

"The fact that there's a dungeon here that we don't know about, should tell you enough." Tia rebuked.

"Well, could be just leftovers from an older time?" Evileye smirked.

As they sped ahead, they soon came to the main chamber. Lakyus signalled her team to prepare for combat.

Arana and Gabbadar, was waiting for them.

* * *

Wololo-sama. We have intruders.

Intruders?

Yes. And they are descending really quickly. They appear quite powerful.

"HUH?" This wasn't something he expected.

He quickly left the market for a secluded area, and casted [Greater Teleport].

He then vanished in a *whoosh*

* * *

"So you people stole the maps and the books." Gagaran said, noticing the maps that have been used to decorate the walls, and the books opened all over the tables.

Arana and Gabbadar was in their fighting stances.

"Not talking, eh?" The Blue Rose are ready to fight too.

Gabbadar attacked first. The skeleton swiftly leap forth, swinging his broadsword at Gagaran, that was parried by her war pick. A loud clang bounced off the walls of the chambers. And a few more soon after. Gagaran was on par with the undead skeleton in the clash of swords.

"Not bad!" Gagaran swinged her weapon, which was blocked by the undead's shield. "But we have more!"

[Holy fire]

A glowing fire hit Gabbadar's shield, and though the skeleton himself was unharmed, the fire was incredibly effective, and massively damaged the undead shield, rendering it unusable. Gabbadar then discarded the shield, and used both hands to wield the broadsword instead.

Arana tried to assist, jumping in to attack Lakyus with some cobwebs, but the twin assassins of the Blue Rose quickly countered, and soon was more than enough to take on Arana.

Two against five.

It wasn't going well. Not only that, they were less experienced in working together compared to the Blue Rose.

[Holy Fire]

This time Gabbadar dodged the fire instead, and sensing Lakyus to be the biggest threat, he attempted to close in on her.

But Gagaran was in her way. And so was Evileye.

"Silly undead."

[Crystal wall] [Crystal lance].

Gabbadar was too slow to dodge the ice lance, and tried to block with his left arm. And the lance crushed the undead's left arm, destroying it. The broken bones of the left arm then fell onto the floor.

"See?" Evileye then closed in on Gabbadar. They were now in melee range, so close they could touch each other. She grinned and let out her spell.

[Maximise Magic : Shard Buckshot]

The shards exploded right in front of the ribs of Gabbadar, destroying him in the process, and his sword and skull dropped onto the floor. The glow in his skull vanished.

"Gabbadar!" Arana yelled, but she wasn't in a good state either. The twin assassins were overpowering her and she suffered various cuts. While she was not lacking in speed, she lacked the skills the twins had, and their coordination. She herself had yet to master her own transformation to her second tier form, and certainly the Blue Rose was not going to give her the luxury of time to let her transform.

Gagaran joined in, and together with the twin Assassins Tia and Tina, they attacked her from three directions. "Urghhh.." Blood spilled from her gut, as two daggers stabbed her. Unable to dodge, Arana's eyes looked afraid.

Then Gagaran came from above, and landed a clean hit on her head. And Arana fell lifeless onto the dungeon floor.

* * *

"Hello, Guardians."

The guardians unanimously responded, "Greetings, Ainz-sama." Ainz had gathered them here, in the throne room to make the much awaited announcement.

"I have an announcement to make."

The guardians bowed, ready to dedicate their very lives to anything their supreme being would desire.

"Wololo-san and I have decided to have a little competition between us."

The guardians glanced at each other, wondering what is going on.

"This competition between us, will have 3 events."

Silence.

The guardians waited for Ainz to further elaborate.

"One year from now, we have decided that both of us will compete on who has the best team of 5 new world minion, who will fight it out. The second event is a casual one, to have a horse race on who has the fastest horse and horse rider around an obstacle course, and the third is to see which of us can find or create the best valuable or highest value item in this new world."

Ainz recalled having to give presentations to his colleagues, and felt a strange feeling in his gut. But he held on to it.

"As this is an extensive competition that requires our attention in many parts, we will also have one guardian each, to assist us with the details, while the rest of you shall act as judges and also the organisers."

Silence. There was some anticipation amongst the guardians, perhaps this was their chance to be of service to their masters.

"Albedo. You will be my assistant."

An audible weeee could be heard and Albedo's wings fluttered in joy. Her face flushed slightly, she quickly stood up and then bowed to her beloved, "Ainz-sama, I am truly honored. I'm glad you have decided to choose me to assist you! As your wife I will do everything in my power to win."

Every other guardian had a little smirk on the word 'wife'.

"I am in your care, Albedo."

Albedo's smile was from cheek to cheek. In her mind…

 _This must be my test as a wife!_

That pleasant thought was short-lived sadly, as she then recalled the conversation between Ainz-sama and Wololo-sama, and she realised how severe her burden is.

She quickly recovered from the shock of that thought, and went back into her kneeling position.

"Wololo-san has decided on Aura as his assistant. So Aura you should contact Wololo-san for your further instructions."

Aura stood and bowed, "Understood. I will do my best."

The rest of the guardians look disappointed, for not being chosen. Perhaps they are wondering to themselves where have they lacked.

"The rest of the guardians have a crucial role to ensure this benefits Nazarick, by collecting information and sharing it to both myself and Wololo-san. You are also to share your findings with the scribe, who will be tasked to send out weekly summaries of your findings to both of us."

Everyone was still silent.

"Demiurge, Shalltear and Cocytus, since Albedo shall be assisting me in this. The defense of Nazarick shall be in your hands. Nazarick represents the hard work of my guildmates, so, it is in your able hands to defend it. The construction of the venue for team battle and horse race will also be left to the 3 of you. The location should be somewhere outside of Nazarick, please search for a suitable location and let both of us know."

The three bowed.

Mare and Sebas looked at the rest, in their minds wondering what their tasks were.

"Sebas, Mare and everyone else will be the referees, to ensure none of us cheats by attacking each other. After all, we want to strengthen Nazarick by having a competition, and not to weaken Nazarick."

Ainz looked at all of the guardians present, and realised he finished what he wanted to say.

"That is all. I shall now return to my chambers."

And Ainz teleported away.

…

After the announcement they all stood and looked at each other, trying to read beyond what was said by their Lord, Ainz-sama. Albedo was excited to serve her master but her face also revealed a little worry. She then turned to her fellow guardians.

"This is the supreme being's' test, whether we are worthy for their attention."

Everyone looked at Albedo.

"Our performance in this competition may influence whether Ainz-sama will remain or leave. So we must do beyond what is expected of us."

If it is a horse race and arena, it shall be the grandest the world have ever seen.

Shalltear wondered, "What are you talking about? Why would the supreme beings leave us?"

Albedo, realising she had not spoke of the conversation to anyone else other than Demiurge, then shared the conversation she overheard, and the rest of the guardians mentally recoiled at the prospect that their supreme beings not being around.

"I believe this is Wololo-sama's challenge to Ainz-sama, that we can claim this world for them. We have to prove that we are worthy of their presence. Ainz-sama has faith in us, that his continuing care of us as the master of Nazarick is correct, but Wololo-sama on the other hand, is searching for a way to return to the supreme beings world." Albedo explained, much of it over-reading and conjectures out of the little conversation the supreme beings shared. Demiurge mentally wondered whether Albedo was overworrying, but since the outcome isn't anything bad, he let it slide.

"Ah, so that is why Wololo-sama established a dungeon base in Re-Estize. And stole of those books and maps." Sebas commented.

"Aura, Wololo-sama has appointed you. If you see something unusual, let us know. He may be on the lookout for a way to leave, and we must be prepared." Demiurge interrupted.

Aura pondered Demiurge's request, then she nodded. "Okay. If it is not a secret. But I must say, we should not interfere with the Supreme Being's will. Their wisdom is beyond our comprehension."

* * *

Ainz was back in his room, and he slouched over the chair out of habit. He's tired, as he always has been every time he gives a leader-like instruction or briefing. He would mentally go over what he wants to say, practice it a few times in front of a mirror so that it comes out right, and then mentally go over it again.

It's a competence of its own, a willingness to dedicate himself to constant practice and repetition, that is assisted by his undead form.

"Wololo-san. Where are you?"

There was no reply. _Maybe he'll get back to me later, it'll sit in his inbox a while._

He looked over the map that they have gathered, and a present that Wololo-san has sent to him overnight. It was a massive map, a compilation of all the various maps they've gathered, superimposed on top of each other. It detailed the large expanses of the Slane Theocracy, the Kingdom of Re-Estize, the Baharuth Empire… and the unclaimed lands.

It had a magical marking on it. Actually, a few. When he laid out the map nicely on the table, it triggered a magic that created a holographic-ish interface, complete with elevation details. It had little arrows that hovered across it, like waypoints.

Ainz tapped one of them, and a voice played out.

"Ainz-san. I'm sure most of the details should be known to you, but I've marked out the areas where we can check out to start our 5 year goal. These are the "un-owned" lands, places that are naturally well protected and still unclaimed by the human kingdoms. There are about 5 or 6 of them, all across the outskirts and far reaches of the human lands. You may find them useful."

And then the voice stopped. A green glowing arrow then appeared in the southeast, beyond the borders of the Slane Theocracy and the Elves Kingdom.

"My scouts found a lovely abandoned ruins down here that I will reclaim as my new base."

Ainz looked over the maps again, and considered the nature of their 5 year plan, beyond their present. If he had a choice, he would like it to be a mixed utopian town, with humans and demi-humans combining to form a harmonious society.

"Ah, the humans dream of peace. I wonder whether they will accept an undead elder lich as myself as their ruler." Ainz shook his head. Perhaps he should look at demi-humans or heteromorphs of this world as his new citizens.

It was then Albedo knocked on the door. It's already late.

"Ainz-sama, it's me, Albedo. May I come in?"

"Ah, Albedo. Yes yes, I was just thinking of you."

Albedo opened the door and stepped in, wearing a big smile. She's probably delighted that her beloved Ainz-sama said he was thinking about her. "Are you thinking about doing it, Ainz-sama?"

"Ah no. Not today." Ainz tried to divert the subject from the lewd matters Albedo always tries to bring up. "I would actually like to discuss the announcement today." Albedo's expression changed instantly into something serious and attentive.

"Oh…"

Ainz then pulled Albedo over to the map that Wololo has made.

"Look at this, and then we will go through the competition in detail, and you can give suggestions or ideas on how best to achieve it. I'll need your help to win this."

Albedo and Ainz surveyed the maps, with Ainz going on pointing at different parts of the maps.

"There's actually a 4th event."

"Oh?"

"The game is 5 years from now, but we intend to both lead our own cities in this world. And we intend to see who has a greater city by then."

"Ah yes of course, if the Supreme Beings wish to rule over the New World, we will do our best."

"So within the next 5 years, we will both start a small town, and grow from there. It's like those city building games, and for the details, I need your capable skills, Albedo."

"It's my pleasure to be of use to Ainz-sama." Albedo pondered what city-building games meant, but perhaps this was the sort of things supreme beings did in their free time. _Creation or destruction of cities is but child's play for the gods._

"The world is a cruel, terrible place, Albedo. Perhaps we are sent here to make a change."

Ainz had wondered it for days since Wololo's challenge.

 _Why are we here?_

 _We have come, with great power in our hands. Though we are not invincible, power surely must come with responsibility. Wololo, unlike myself still has some of his humanity left. His emotions have not been suppressed, unlike mine._

 _Is this our responsibility?_

"Ainz-sama will be a great ruler!" Albedo interrupted.

 _Will I really be a great ruler?_

* * *

Wololo was watched his minions die.

As Gabbadar collapsed, lifeless. As Arana fell and bled.

Though he saw, he did not intervene.

He observed the dungeon console, as their death registers on the interface. He watched, as the names disappear on the list of created NPCs, and the magical energies return back to the orb. The energies that was released by their death could not be used immediately. It was as if the energy that was given to the 2, needed some time to be restored into the magical streams that flowed into the dungeons.

"That's it?" The noble-ish lady that looked like the group of 5's leader spoke, whilst looking through the chambers. Then they turn to the unguarded orb.

"I sense bad things from that." A little girl said, but Wololo could sense she's the most powerful of them all. She smelled like an undead, perhaps a vampire like Shalltear, and radiated a field of energy.

The noble lady with the blond hair and massive sword slashed the orb with her odd colored sword. _That's a nice sword._

"Krakkkkkkk"

The orb cracked. Then the crack spread throughout the orb, and shattered. It looked as if dark energies dissipated from the orb, as if freed from it's prison.

The walls shook. The lights in the chamber flicker, gradually losing power. The goblin handyman started to disappear, his HP dropping by the second.

"Take all the maps and books, and get out of here. It's probably going to collapse soon." Lakyus called out. Everyone frantically grabbed all the books and maps, dumping it into their magical inventory bags. Once they were done they ran out.

They've not sensed him at all. After they left, he retrieved the remains of Arana and Gabbadar.

The walls continue to shake, the magic wavers. He touched the place where the orb once was again, trying to reach out to the "dungeon AI", and a faint, shaking voice responds to him.

The dungeon is gone, and it'll take 2 years for the magical stream to condense, before it can be claimed as a dungeon again. _Oh well._

Wololo smiled and sent a bit of his magic into the walls, and the shaking weakened substantially.

* * *

"Hmm.. a skeleton and a spider hybrid…" Princess Renner did not seem very content with what they fought.

"Well, we did get the things back, didn't we? We'll still get the bounty."

"Yes. But that's not the thief. The mastermind is not those 2. They are probably just guards."

"How do you know?"

Princess Renner and Climb looked over the maps and books they retrieved, observing that each book has been opened and there were small fingerprints all over the maps, perhaps that of Elves.

"These are Elvish fingerprints.. And animal prints." The assassins were the one making the observation, perhaps it's from their past experience in hunting down people.

"That don't make sense. Animal prints, Elves, spiders and skeletons." Gagaran commented.

"It doesn't to me, either. But this case isn't closed yet. We may be facing something more powerful than this."

"If it's just more of that skeleton or spider lady, we can handle it." Evileye said confidently. "Anyway, let's claim our bounty."

* * *

"How'd it go, Ainz-san?" Wololo appeared as a shadow before Ainz in his room.

"Ah welcome back, Wololo-san. Better than expected. They seem receptive to the idea of a contest."

"Oh, that's great. I'll probably need to meet up with Aura too, to let her know what I planned."

"The map you sent me was great. I suppose the theft was your idea?"

"Yes. It wasn't much. It's best we fight fairly, so I thought of sharing the information." Wololo grinned.

"Ah. I told Albedo about the city building idea. She might over-do it, but I really do need her wits and her management skill if we are really to manage a country."

"Did I tell you about the dungeon I claimed? Well, I lost it today."

"That's fast. You didn't stop the invaders?"

"Nah. I wanted to see what happens in this world when you lost a dungeon. There's always plenty more dungeons to be claimed in this world, and we can have more than one dungeon anyway."

"Oh. That's really interesting. Is there's something out there that can match Nazarick?"

"Interesting thought, isn't it?"


	9. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

* * *

Gazef was surprised to see him. He was on his way home for the evening, from the tiresome matters of the court that he often accompanies his liege on. The sky is dark, and it's slightly drizzling too, signalling a heavy rain was about to start in a while more.

It's been so long since they last met. Perhaps it was during the tournament a few years ago. That brilliant, incredibly talented swordsman. Their fight that day has since been a thing that is spoken of, as a contest of legends.

Seeing him wrecked like this, losing all will to fight, and crying, was something he didn't know how to react to, or even what to say. At first, he wasn't even sure the silhouette he saw that that of Brain Unglaus. That genius with the sword during the tournament many years back. That broken posture was a far cry of the calm, confident man that crossed swords with him.

"Unglaus! Is that you, Unglaus?" Gazef grabbed him in the rain. He looked beaten, his spirit weak.

"Stronoff? Gazef Stronoff?"

"Yes, yes. It's me." He grabbed Brain who looked like he was going to trip. He seemed like he didn't eat for days.

"The world is playing tricks on me, to see you now." Brain chuckled, like a madman.

"What are you talking about…"

"I'm exhausted, Stronoff. I hate running from shadows. It's still chasing me."

"Stop that rubbish."

"You know, I thought we were pretty good. But we are deluded. Humans are weak. Weak, you hear me?" Brain grabbed Stronoff, his eyes was one that has seen true terror.

Stronoff met his gaze, and they looked at each other for a few seconds.

"You look like you could use some food. And shelter. And some clean clothes." Gazef's eyes was one of compassion, of care. He never expected to look at him this way. Brain tried to deflect it, but in the end he relented, and followed him home. He showed him around his simple home, and forced him to take a shower and change his rain-drenched clothes.

A while later...

"You know… I meant what I said, we really aren't much." Brain emerged from the bathroom.

Gazef chuckled. "That's really strange coming from you." Brain looked slightly better after a hot bath. Color was starting to return slightly to his face, no longer the pale, drained face he had earlier.

"I thought I was at the pinnacle of swordsmanship. How wrong I was."

Gazef understood that feeling.

"I met a vampire! Not just any vampire. The kind with power that is so unfathomable, that just being in their presence…." Brain couldn't continue, and looked like he is having a relapse of the fear he felt.

He ran like hell that day.

He thought he was going to die. But he didn't, as somehow... the vampire did not give chase. Though its been many days of running since then, but that ominous shadow, the haunting screams. It feels ever present.

"Brain Unglaus. Get a grip of yourself."

He held Brain with both his arms, and somehow understood what he felt. If Ainz Oown Goal directed his power against him, surely he would feel helpless as well.

"Please go to sleep and rest your mind a little."

Somehow Brain felt a little at ease to hear those words from Gazef. It was reassuring in a strange way.

* * *

In face of injustice, Sebas felt a push within him to intervene where he could. It was, and still is, the right thing to do.

The defenseless child being attacked by drunkards was one such occasion.

He was merely passing by, but he intervened as no one else would. Perhaps the assailants looked intimidating, but it wasn't right. The poor boy was already bleeding, and was apologising for whatever that happened. Still, it did not justify such beatings. The strong should protect the weak, not harass them.

And so he blocked the drunkard's punch. The boy was barely conscious, and if that punch landed, he could possibly die.

"Get out of the way, old man."

"I'm afraid I can't. In fact, I'd like it better if you all got out of my sight." He gave a deathly stare.

"Then I'll beat you up too!" The drunkard tries to punch Sebas, but it didn't land, as Sebas ably dodged it.

The drunkard staggers backward, and draws his short sword.

"You stupid old man-"

Enough of this harassment.

Sebas landed a swift hit to the head. It was sharp, silent, and effective. The drunkard collapsed onto the market floor, alive, but unconscious. His friends, shocked at their brutish friend collapsing, quickly went to assist him.

Sebas turned to the boy, "Are you okay, young one? Can someone take him to the temple?"

The little boy nodded, his voice weak from the beating. A city guard that passes by witnessed the commotion and helped to carry the boy off.

But Climb and Brain both saw what happened.

That swift strike, the clean hit.

And so they followed him to the alley. Perhaps he knew his was being followed.

* * *

"Tsuare, is it?"

Solution, fearing a potential rebellion or betrayal of Sebas as a result of the conflicts that saving this girl has brought, reported it to Wololo who came over to visit.

"Yes, milord." She was still weak, but his healing magics has significantly improved her condition. He touched her head softly, sensing her hesitation still at the strange man in front of him.

"Do you know who did this to you?"

"Them. I don't know their names…"

"Wolo- Wolf-san." Solution called out, "I think someone is coming."

"Yes, yes. I know."

It seems some of them had trailed Sebas to this mansion. No matter, there's no one in the city that should pose a threat. They were probably part of the organisation that enslaved Tsuare earlier.

"Ah. the owners are here." Wololo opened the door to the mansion.

Wololo, pretending to be the mansion's attendant, showed the two persons in. The two appeared to be some kind of city patrol authority, and also the enforcer that radiated an unusual aura, which Wololo believed to be called Succulent.

They faced Solution who was sat on the chair as the aloof mistress of the mansion, accompanied by Sebas at her side, and Wolf.

The purpose of the visit was quickly made clear. Their initial intent was to extort money out of Sebas, who went under the guise of a butler of a wealthy lord, but seeing Solution, lust too quickly mixed in, and they did not hesitate to threaten Sebas, and Solution

"So, our investigations shown that you've purchased a slave, who was an employee of this man's organisation." The city official referred to the enforcer, and they seemed smug. "And the Kingdom outlaws the trading of slaves. As such, what our investigation showed that you are the prime suspect of this illegal slavery transaction."

The two looked at Solution with lustful eyes, their minds enchanted by her beauty, and so they repeated again. "So, per our interrogation, the person we captured handed you this man's employee after he received payment from your butler. If found guilty, you may have to be held responsible."

Wololo was amused. Sebas was clearly not suited for this sort of conversations, and he had read enough into the two's intentions. Sebas was in a way too straightforward, and too honest in his dealings. It's a reflection of Touch-Me's personality after all.

"Sebas, I'll handle this." Wololo on the other hand, has none of the inhibitions, so he had more options..

The 2 turned to face the other middle aged man waiting in the room. And instantly they felt a fear that they did not know the words to describe.

They instinctively wanted to flee, but they're trapped. Dark green vines had crawled out of the floor that held them tightly, and it bit into them, draining them of their magics.

Wololo then walked closer to them, and smirked. "Criminals."

The city official who identified himself as Stafan, replied. "No. You are the criminal. Attempting to assault a public official is a crime."

Wololo grinned. "The weak and wicked, should keep their mouth shut before the righteous and mighty."

He reached his hands into his inventory and pulled out two small glass bottles, each filled with a tube-like worm.

"Oh sorry, I totally don't mean to do this." Wololo grinned, and his somewhat dirty teeth revealed itself. "I'm not righteous, either."

Both Succulent and Stafan, the patrol officer struggled as the vines gripped the entirety of their body. Wololo's [Life-sucking Vines] had the effect of draining both HP and MPs from trapped enemies, but he had set them to reduce the damage and weakened the effect so that it only dealt minimal HP damage.

Alive is better than dead.

He opened the bottles, and pulled out one of the worms with a scalpel that somehow magically appeared. The worm was about a foot in length, and about 1 centimeter in width. It's pink in color, with little hairs all over it.

Wololo placed the worm right at Succulent's cheek. The worm then crawled and forced itself into the left ear of Succulent, and he screamed.

He screamed, and struggled. The worm forced itself into its ear, wiggling itself in an inch every time. He kept screaming, but he was unable to stop the worm, as his arms has been trapped by the vines.

Sebas grit his teeth. It was an ugly sight.

But the room has been silenced beforehand. So his silence was only for the enjoyment of Wololo who looked at him with an evil grin.

"Don't worry, it won't hurt."

And after about 30 seconds the screaming stopped. The worm was fully inside.

Stafan looked like he was going to vomit, but Wololo merely found his expression cute. That wasn't going to save him, unfortunately. So, the second worm went into his ear too. He struggled, and screamed, begged to be freed. He offered money, women, pretty much everything he could think of.

"You're dealing with the wrong person, mortal." Wololo was fully in character as the evil supervillain's sidekick.

The screaming stopped after 30 seconds too. Both Succulent and Stafan looked lifeless.

"Did you kill them?"

"No." Wololo faced them. "Raise your heads."

The two raised their heads, their eyes had a strange yellow glow, that faded.

"Tell me everything about your organisation."

"Yes, Master." Both of the trapped men said in unison.

Wololo had used the [Mind-Control Worm] on them. It's one of those items that was created back in Yggdrasil that was used to temporarily control NPCs and monsters. As it did not work on players, it was pretty useless in Yggdrasil since NPC and monster control was pretty gimmicky and useful only at lower levels. Higher leveled NPC/creatures all had some kind of mind control resistance and the worm would be melted from their defenses. Yet, this is not so for the New World, from a few earlier tests he conducted, the worms last at least a few months, since the first victim of the mind control is still alive and under control.

Succulent went at length talking about Eight Fingers, the sort of crimes they did, and where they were based in. He also went on about his participation in the combat wing of the Eight Fingers, how the leader of the team is the strongest warrior.

Once he completed his interrogation, he let them go.

"Succulent, Stafan. Nothing happened today, and this whole kidnapping/slavery deal did not happen. Leave."

The two then left after bowing to Wololo, and called off the thugs that were waiting outside the mansion. It seemed their subordinates asked why they left without getting anything, but after a fierce rebuke from Succulent about not asking stupid questions, they all kept their mouth afterwards.

"There, problem solved. We now know there's a criminal organisation in this city, and how they operate." Wololo laughed. "And we have a mole."

Sebas nodded, and Solution who appeared from the walls like a blob, laughed. "That's amazing, Wololo-sama. Can I have that worm too?"

Wololo smiled, and nodded. "Next time."

* * *

It's a really beautiful beach. White sands, great expanses of blue and emerald seas. It's the kind of place people go for holidays. There are coconut trees all over, and they swayed and rustled when the sea breeze picked up.

But the beach was not why Ainz, Albedo and Shizu was here. They were here to start off the city plan, and here, far to the east of the Re-Estize kingdom, was a small demi-human settlement of elves. The settlement has about only 100 to 150 people, about 30 families of dark elves, that mostly got by fishing in the lagoon, and harvesting coconuts.

It's really quite idyllic.

But their lives are far less idyllic, as they have been under threat of the human nobles nearby who've constantly harassed them and attacked them, for whatever goods they could offer. Overwhelmed by their numbers and lacking the equipment the Re-Estize kingdom had, they surrendered every time, and young elves were often taken away to be servants and workers in mines as slaves.

It's been outlawed, but the enforcement of the slave trade has not really been effective throughout the country. There are still nobles in the fringes that still wanted slave laborers to supplement their smaller population.

So naturally, the presence of the 3 in the village was a cause for worry. Their elder was sent out to negotiate.

"Hello, Elves." Ainz spoke authoritatively, a tone that he practiced for weeks. Ainz was really getting into the whole ruler of the universe thing.

"Hello, visitors. What can our humble village do for you?"

"Our master, Ainz-sama, has decided your village is suitable for annexation. We are here to compel you to submit to Ainz-sama as your new Emperor." Albedo spoke, and was dressed in heavy armor, similar to the one she wore previously during the little scuffle with the Slane Theocracy. In a way, it was a message, that she came here prepared for war.

The village elder, white haired elf that looked like he lived quite a few years, was visibly shocked. But he did not doubt the strength of the 3 that came to visit them, as he could sense the immense powers that came out of Ainz and Albedo.

"That…. We'll need to discuss that." The Elder hesitantly replied. He hadn't even gotten an introduction in.

"Sure. We will return in 3 days."

The 3 then teleported away, to the next village that was about 10 kilometers north of the dark elves. This too was another elven village, a similarly sized elves village.

"Ainz-sama, they may choose to fight, like how the lizardmen did." Albedo was referencing Cocytus's earlier adventures with the lizard villages, which ultimately bowed before the might of Nazarick.

"No matter. So long as some survive and bow before us, we will have the numbers and labor necessary for the beginning of a new country."

Some of the other guild members wrote books on city-building games and empire-conquest strategy games, and so he had arranged to borrow them for this part of the adventure. Punitto Moe loved strategy games and imported many books on war and strategy, and there was another member who loved the technical, mathematical aspect of optimising cities. Somehow that was imported into Yggdrasil over the years.. Perhaps they felt their guild base was lacking such information.

Ainz teleported right into the middle of the Elven Village, appearing as if he emerged from a dark cloud of shadows. It was clearly aimed to be a visible spectacle to impress them.

"Hello, Elves." He spoke authoritatively, and his immense aura petrified the elves who were going about their daily affairs. "I would like to speak to your elders. Summon them immediately."

Some of the elves quickly dashed into the nearby buildings and screamed.

Panic.

Albedo appeared next to Ainz, and noticed some of the Elves were running.

"Well, mortals who are in fear of the great Ainz-sama, surely they would run."

Ainz sighed. "Elves. If you run I will kill you for sure, so it is best you submit peacefully." It was a threat that Ainz practiced.

The elves ran though.

"I don't want to do this." Ainz raised his hand and magic arrows flew out and hit the fleeing elves. It was not lethal, but enough to disable them.

One of the older looking elf appeared.

"Oh great and mighty one, please spare us!"

"Ah!" Ainz exclaimed, noticing the elder that came.

"This is Ainz Ooal Gown-sama, your new Emperor." Albedo said, as if the whole Emperor thing was already a fact.

"It's a mouthful, so you may refer to me as Ainz." Ainz approached the elder. "I intend to annex the elves that live along these shores. I do not intend to slaughter you and your fellow friends and family."

The elder bowed, not yet ready to reply.

"If you obey and acknowledge me as your new ruler, you will be protected from the human kingdoms."

A few more elders appeared from the shabby houses, and one of them said, "May we discuss this, Ainz-sama?" He wasn't sure the elder's trembling was from fear, or from age.

"Yes. We will return in 3 days." Ainz replied, and then teleported to the next village another 10-15 kilometers away.

They visited a total of 5 elven villages that day, all along the shoreline. All of them appear somewhat malnourished, and most had very little men left. It seems most have been captured by the nearby nobles for hard labor.

Life is hard, and that was a bargaining point.

When a being close to the gods descend upon you, would you fight, or would you kneel?

* * *

Anna arrived at the nearest Slane Theocracy city after more than 2 weeks of travelling, by accompanying merchant travellers who were headed in the same direction, offering her skills and protection as a mage, and adventurer.

The moment she stepped past the city gates...

She heard a 'kaching', a sound from a cash register settling payments.

"Your debt has been reduced by 40 points. Your remaining balance is 760."

"You may select a new mission once you find somewhere quiet, just let me know."

Anna nodded. Over the course of the travels, she found it strange that the shadow did not speak to her, and pretty much let her be. It was a rather peaceful trip for her, with her sleep free of the nightmares she once had, when she first gotten her ring.

She headed straight for the temple of that Slane Theocracy city. If she was not mistaken, the city is referred to as Basrah, and the temple of Basrah was the largest in the region. The template is a vast stone and marble construct, and outside was the statues of the 6 gods that they worship. As she walked in, a guard stopped her.

"Stop. State your business."

"I'm possessed." Anna said, nonchalantly. Perhaps she's come to terms to that reality.

The guard was taken a little aback, and called over the other guards. "This lady says she's possessed." They quickly grabbed her, but she didn't resist.

"Can the theocracy help me?"

"We'll see about that." She was then pulled into a small room at the side of the temple by 2 guards, each one holding one of her arms.

The room she was in was a simple room, with bare walls and stone tiles for a floor. Inside there was one wooden chair, and they sat her down on it.

"The priest will be with you shortly."

She waited for some time, about 3 hours alone in that room before a lone priest came to see her. He was an old man, about 60s in age, and needed a thick wooden cane to assist his walking. He was bald on top, but had a 3 inch long white beard, and was dressed in the priesthood's standard attire.

"So you say you are possessed, young one?"

"Yes. By a shadow."

"I see. I am Diseria, the High Priest of Basrah. It is not every day a young lady comes in and admits she is possessed."

He stared at Anna, and grinned.

"But I can help you."

The priest took out a golden colored staff that shone brightly, and started chanting. She felt herself shake violently, as her body started to glow.

[HOLY PURGE]

A brilliant flash of light was emitted from her.

The old priest then held her, and said, "That should do." Feeling unchanged, Anna was still doubtful. But the priest had already motioned the guards to escort her out of the temple, confident his spells have done the trick.

"Don't worry young lady, no ghost can stand my holy wrath." And his mad laughter could be heard even as she was escorted away.

As she left the temple, she heard that familiar voice in her head.

"A Tier 3 purge is not sufficient, Anna."

"I knew it." Anna shook her head, and her right fist hit her left palm.

Back in the inn, she resigned herself to her fate of serving this shadows to free herself.

"So what are my missions?"

 _Assassinate the head priest of this city. 200 points_

 _Assassinate the slave trade leader of this city. 200 points_

 _Collect 500 gold. 100 points._

"Those are impossible tasks!"

The shadow appeared to shrug it's shoulders. "Too bad. Let's see whether the master wants anything else…."

Anna looked at the shadow intensely.

"Ah. how about this one."

 _Intercept the slave convoy arriving 1 week from now, and free the slaves. 80 points._

Uhhhhhh…

"That's still really difficult. I'll probably die before I get anywhere near the slaves." The slave trade is often heavily guarded, as it has intense links to the underworld. Therefore, any attempt to cut off the lucrative trade will usually invite retaliation. Slane Theocracy was where the slaves would be secretly exported to the other 2 human kingdoms.

The shadow shrugged again.

"Hmmm…" The shadow put its fingers to its chin as if it was thinking. "How about this."

 _Infiltrate the Slane Theocracy's army._

* * *

"You're back. Wanna go get a drink, Unglaus?"

"Oh, Stronoff. Yeah, a drink is good. Actually, can I call you Gazef?"

"I don't mind, Brain."

"Heh."

The two went to a pub. It's a rather quiet place, but served good quality beer and food, so Gazef and his group of Warrior Troops did frequently come here to unwind. More than anything, Gazef recognised Brain's better mood than before, and so he decided that was worth a celebration. He wasn't going to ask though.

"Today's been really interesting."

"Oh?"

Brain thought about how Sebas had emitted a fearsome bloodlust comparable to Shalltear, and yet Climb was able to stand and react to him. It was a scene that really spoke to the weakness he felt, and it is etched into his heart. More than anything, it gave him a realisation that all is not lost.

"Heh, never mind it. Cheers." Brain tapped his mug against Gazef, and downed his mug of beer. "I think I plan to stay around a bit more."

"Sure. The Kingdom could really use your skills."

Brain grinned a little that statement, but didn't tease him further.

"I met this boy called Climb today. He looked like someone from the palace guards or the army. Is he one of yours?"

"Oh? That's the princess's guard."

"He's not really talented with the sword, but in some ways, he is better than me…"

"Really?"

* * *

It's an unfamiliar place. The weather's cold, and her surroundings seemed to be on some kind of snow covered mountains.

She was under-dressed for the weather, so she felt a little chill. But more importantly, she's alone, without her teammates. She quickly draw her sword, Kirineiram, and casted a few battle buffs on herself. No matter how she got here, the fact that someone wanted her here was a sign of danger in itself. So combat is highly likely.

"I see you noticed."

Lakyus turned to see a squirrel, perched on top of a stone statue with the angry face of an oriental lion.

"What?"

Though what she saw was a squirrel, she felt an incredibly intimidating aura, of someone way more powerful than her. It radiated from the squirrel like a huge shadow, and she felt her legs weaken.

But still she held on. "Who are you?!"

"Your worst nightmare."

"Is this a joke?" Lakyus channelled some magical power into her sword and attempted to slash the squirrel, but her sword was stopped by a stone arm that appeared from the ground. Then she found her feet trapped by some kind of black ice.

The black ice was spreading up from her legs, and in about a minute, the ice covered her up till her waist. She felt her energy and willpower getting drained away.

"Tell me your name."

Lakyus' sword was still stuck with the stone arm, and she only had her hands free. She tried to cast magic, but somehow it failed.

"It's not good to resist." The squirrel's eyes glowed red. Lakyus felt some kind of pressure on her legs, as if the ice was going to crush her, but it stopped short of actually doing it.

"I am Lakyus Alvein Dale Aindra, leader of the Blue Roses."

The squirrel's red glow vanished. "That isn't too bad." The stone arm yanked the sword off her hands, and brought it close to Wololo. "Hmm… a relic class sword. Interesting."

Lakyus was fully drained of magic energy now, and she was barely conscious. "Give… that.. Back."

"Ah yes, sure." The stone arm brought the sword back to Lakyus, and she grabbed it weakly. Then the sword started radiating dark energy, and Lakyus looked like she was being possessed.

"Oh.. No…" Lakyus, in her weakness, overlooked that her sword may attempt to control her. She grit her teeth, trying to will herself together, but her resistance is weak without much magic. The sword's dark energy slowly radiated around her, and wrapped her like a tentacle monster.

"Uhhhhhh..." Lakyus screamed, struggling to resist the effects of the possessed sword.

And it all went dark for her then.

* * *

AN : Thanks for reading. This chapter was hard to write, because I still couldn't figure out where I wanted to lead this story.


	10. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

The room was empty. On the floor was something that looked like burn marks of some kind of trap.

Tia and Tina immediately went through every nook and corner of the room, searching for clues, while Gagaran and Evileye headed outside, looking for any suspects. Lakyus had disappeared, her presence vanished suddenly. The Blue Rose reacted to her vanished aura instantly, rushing to her last known location.

"Nothing."

"Nothing."

"Did the innkeeper see anyone?" Evileye shook her head in response.

The four remaining women gathered in Lakyus room, and tried to visualise what happened.

"She probably stepped into the room, and whatever here activated and sucked her in."

"Do you think she's still alive? Can't it be some kind of destruction magic?"

"I'm not sure, but I hope she's still alive." Tia bent down to examine the floor, "but there's no blood or splatter, so I doubt it's destruction or explosion magic."

"Do you think she is being targeted?"

"Of course she is, it's in her room." Evileye rolled her eyes.

"Unless it's in ours as well…"

"I've been in my room. I'm still here." Evileye added, and Gagaran nodded.

"So what do we do now? We're working with very few clues here."

Lakyus generally is the brains of the Blue Roses, and without her, they weren't quite sure how to go about tackling this challenge.

"Who should we tell?"

* * *

The north of Nazarick lies a mountain range that the Re-Estize folk refer to the Azerlisia Mountains, that stretches for hundreds of miles. It's a fairly diverse mountain range in terms of climate. The mountains closer to Nazarick are more temperate, covered in trees and still had animals, but the further north you go, the cold starts to creep in and the vegetation thins. What was once verdant forests give way to hardy bushes and shrubs, and eventually, just grass. Even further than that, the grass gives way to snow capped hills and mountains.

It's a rarely travelled place, though there are few mountain passes where some merchants occasionally take when pressed for time to get to Baharuth Empire quickly, rather than take the easier route but less direct route. But due to the harshness of the terrain, and low volume of traffic, travellers that pass through here are often very well armed and experienced, to weather the challenges the mountain may throw at them.

They had their sights on a location at the shore of a mountain lake, far up the mountains. The remains of an ancient caldera that has since been filled with water, it's now a lovely tranquil place populated by the few mountain goats that come here to drink and rest.

"Is it... suitable?" Mare turned and faced Demiurge and Cocytus.

"The weather's a little cold, but normal horses should still do fine. It's large and there's little vegetation too. The caldera walls are a natural camouflage though, so building an arena here may not be a bad idea."

Demiurge mentally imagined the huge arena that they would carve into the mountain walls. With the caldera edges incorporated to form the grand circular stand of the arena, and the caldera peak converted into spires and towers housing VIPs and lighting. The Caldera itself would be the arena for the grand battles of their supreme beings, surely anything less spectacular would be an insult.

"This is a spectacle. This is how Nazarick makes their mark in the world. By creating wonders and aweing over all these lesser mortals who cannot fathom the scale and sizes that our Supreme Being has in mind."

Cocytus was quite excited, as he imagined how the caldera itself will be reshaped into an arena that could fit hundreds of thousands. It would be a great stadium, and he would like to fight in it, if the supreme beings permitted it.

"This. Caldera. Will. Be. Great. I. Would. Be. Honored. To. Fight. In. It."

Demiurge grinned, and tapped Cocytus lightly on his shoulderplate. "Ah, let's not get too excited. We should work on the plans and discuss with the rest. Ainz-sama and Wololo-sama must give their blessings before we begin. Good find, Mare."

"...You're welcome..."

Since the beginning of their arrival, reconnaissance has been something all the guardians did. Over time, there would be a collection of survey results and field reports, though it's still mostly around the vicinity of Nazarick. Making meaningful sense of the data collected by the vast network of spies and connections Demiurge built, is the tougher part, and requires intelligent servants.

There is more to find for the three, and they returned to Nazarick to continue their search.

* * *

"Yes, we accept the dominion and authority of Ainz Oown Goal over our elven villages. We are loyal to you, Emperor." The village elders of the 5 elven villages were gathered before them 3 days later, all kneeling before Ainz in the open field, and followed by everyone else.

Even though the sun was hot outside, and barely any of the usual sea breeze, they kneel.

As they should, if it was up to Albedo. They are but pawns in the greater game that the gods play.

Ainz himself was a little taken aback by the pledges of loyalty. The word 'Emperor' sounded a little strange for himself. It almost he felt like it was not meant to address him, as if they were meant to refer to someone else. Thankfully, being undead, none of it showed on his facial expression. It's really the ultimate poker face. No twitching of the eyes or face muscles to hint of your inner emotions.

"Ah yes…"

Albedo beamed in joy, her plans worked! While Ainz was away, Albedo had visited each and every village, and brought with a few giants with her. The giants was there to both intimidate them, and also to show that Ainz can be a just and fair lord that treats subordinates of different races well.

With a candy and a stick, it seemed that her intention were well understood.

"So, what do you wish of us, your majesty?"

Ainz walked close to the elven elders, and beckoned them to rise up. He brought up a large piece of paper, and spread it over a table that some of the elven men brought over. On it was the drawings of what looked to be the layout of a city.

The elders stared at the layout. Some appear to comprehend what Ainz has brought to them.

"Your majesty… we can't build such a thing. We have neither the men nor the materials."

"Do not doubt your Emperor's wisdom."

The elder gulped, imagining themselves as slaves to this madman's project. Visions of themselves in chains, toiling away building the city floated in their minds.

Ainz, is a just and capable lord.

"Now, now. I am well aware your limitations. The golems will do most of the hard labour. The elves just need to build the houses within the walls here. All 5 villages are to merge, and be grouped here."

The village at the riverside would be expanded, and fortifications such as defensive walls would be built, with some buffers for future growth. Some 40 golems were summoned to assist in the collection of materials from quarry sites that Albedo had earlier identified. The elvish men, were given metal axes and sent to gather logs from the forests for the reconstruction. The elven ladies were given farming equipment, and made to clear patches of land for farming. Children and elderly were tasked to build joints, weave ropes and make simple furniture.

Their earlier food shortages were temporarily supported by the produce gathered from Nazarick's 6th floor, and fruits harvested in the forests by summoned familiars. Ainz also used an item called the event item [Cornucopia] to create food via magic, to feed the elves.

It took about 3 days for the materials necessary to be collected, and for the construction of the outer wall to begin, and the elves themselves were most impressed by how fast the walls came up afterwards. What was once forests and bushes was replaced with 20 feet high stone walls, complete with watchtowers, all within another 3 days. In what would be the new town square was a 10 feet tall stone status of Ainz on a pedestal, a somewhat gaudy display of strength that Albedo judged as necessary to project her master's strength, and remind who's boss when Ainz is away.

All in, it took 10 days for a new town to appear, and the 500 plus elves have been completely relocated into the town. They were then subsequently organised into groups of about 50, each led by one chief, and a mayor is selected from the 10 chiefs.

The new housing of the elves is really basic, since it pretty much was built overnight, but further enhancements will be in the hands of the elves themselves.

In the future, a shipyard will be added so that seafaring warships can be built, and along with that fishes can be caught from the sea as a food source. Currently there's no natural meats in their diet, except those magically created out of the [Cornucopia], so fishes caught in the future will be a valuable supplement, and should produce a healthier population.

But there was one question that Albedo asked, that stumped Ainz a little longer than he expected.

" It is our first town, Ainz-sama. What shall we call this new town?"

 _Our town._

It's a lot more challenging than he expected. All country capital cities had some kind of kick-ass names, and he wouldn't want his first town to be named something lame. That would totally ruin the image of power that they projected, and be a mismatch with their roleplaying past as an evil guild.

"Ainz and Albedo's love nest? Momonga-topia?"

Ainz glared. Awful.

"Nazarick 2?"

 _No. That's too lame._

Then inspiration hit him like a thunderbolt.

"Necropolis."

"HUH?"

"Necropolis. It means city of the dead." _Thank you Tabula-san for feeding me such horror related anecdotes._

And so it was then decreed. Necropolis.

* * *

Overnight, throughout the north of Re-Estize, grain stores were torched. Winter was coming soon, and the critical stores of food was what the citizens relied on to last through the cold winter months.

The morning many northern citizens awoke to smelled of ash and cinder, as the fires had swept through the stores and granaries. A fire that many had tried to stop throughout the night and into dawn, but to no avail. Some villagers braved the fires to salvage and save what they could, but their efforts are like little drops of water, barely significant in the greater scheme of things.

Villager elders gathered what they could, and asked for merchants to buy food from the warmer south. But most villages had little money after years of harsh rule under the nobles and royalty, and this was a curveball many could not withstand.

And when letters seeking help from the nobles fell on deaf and heartless ears, it was as if a great fire had been lit within their hearts. Some lesser nobles that lived in the towns too, suffering from the lack of supplies, added fuel to the tinderbox, openly questioning why they must serve Re Estize when help does not come when they needed it most.

Within two weeks of starvation, a rebellion had broke out. Some 300 villages and 30 smaller towns with a million population between them had taken arms, with whatever pitchforks and weapons they could muster, and declared their intention to defect to the city states of the north who were willing to offer their assistance in food and weapons, in exchange for future monetary payments.

The north sea town of Kest Estree was where the rebellion brew. A lesser noble, Erik Devail, the leader of the town, hosted what would be a pivotal meeting for the fate of the northern Re-Estizians. Erik was a medium aged man in his early 40s, and a former mithril ranked adventurer that retired from adventuring to take over the estate after his father, Lord Havard Devail passed away.

The Devails were lesser nobles, subservient to the whims of the more powerful nobles that centered themselves at the larger cities, and controlled more of the trade, and money as a result. Though Erik was not stupid by any means, he lacked the necessary political acumen and cultural finesse to navigate the challenges of nobility, and as such had not managed to make any gains in the higher society, and pretty much placed himself in a virtual exile in his hometown of Kest Estree.

Kest Etree is both a fishing and farming town, it is flanked by the larger seas on the east and the farmlands were on the west. The town itself slopes upward as it heads west, and as such isn't a very secure town to be a military stronghold, but it became the capital during those challenging 2 weeks, when various village chiefs and mayors reached out to each other begging for food, and Kest Estree was one of the very few who lost only a few granaries to the arsonists.

The gathering of the village elders and the town mayors, some 200 of them in Kest Estree was a sombre one, unlike prior northern gatherings that were usually associated with somewhat merry festivals. The gathering itself was held in Erik's mansion in Kest Estree, in a dining room that had seen far better days, and now had fallen into disrepair as the Devails' clout in Re-Estize faded.

"Are we sure we are all in this?" Erik asked, "We would very well lose our heads."

"Our men are starving. Our women are hungry. And what is of our nobles doing? Happily frolicking away our tax collections on women and booze in the capital!" An angry man yelled in the room. "So to hell with them, Erik! If we get out of this winter alive, I do not want to serve these nobles any more."

"Our people are hungry. We won't be able to survive a fight with well supplied troops from the south." Another respectable mayor, Dreed Jharl spoke.

 _Ah, a voice of reason._

"But the next tax collection will be early spring. We should gather what supplies we can muster during winter, buy and pool what we have, and rise up then. My family had enough of this rubbish from the south. We're not giving any more to them."

 _Damn it. Another bloodthirsty fellow after all._

Erik knew they were right. Harassed and bullied, the peripheral towns and villages rarely gotten the gains of what they produced, and instead were frequently forced to pay heavy taxes, once to the region's nobles, and another to the capital itself. On top of that, good, healthy young men were often drafted to fight the Kingdom's wars with the Empire, depriving the villages of the chance to build up food stockpiles or building improvements to their towns.

"But even then, how can we fight them? The nobles command larger armies."

"If the Empire holds the annual wars again, why not we rise up at the same time, then? The kingdom won't be able to handle a rebellion and an invasion from the Empire at the same time. We'll just have to promise and delay to pay the taxes, but not actually pay them."

A battle-hardened veteran spoke up.

"If every village gave 50 men, and every town gave 500, we would have 30,000 men. We can fight them off. Many villages have men that has fought in the annual wars before, and in terms of combat experience we are not inferior. It is time we take our future, in our own hands"

"How inspiring." A young man clapped. "But how are we going to fight Gazef?"

"We'll hire mercenaries."

"We don't have the money!"

"Gazef won't leave the King!"

"The King won't come down to crush us himself!"

The discussion did not end till night, though everyone was clear their position is to keep this plan a secret, and set the plans in motion for next annual war. Erik, on the other hand, was to find a champion, or a leader. Someone who can hold their own against Gazef.

Erik had a sweat drip down his forehead. This meeting went from a discussion on how to handle the coming food shortage into a discussion about rebelling and establishing themselves as independent. If any of the nobles found out, and he figured they probably would, as 200 men surely talk, all of them will be charged for treason and plotting to rebel.

But they'd have to get to him, first.

* * *

Ainz is pleased.

Necropolis was going well, two weeks into it's founding, and for the first time, the elves will have enough food for the coming winter. Winter in Necropolis is not harsh, but some of the usual fruit trees that the elves depended on do not bear fruit, so food is still short. Due to the shortage of men, they've not cleared much land for farming, and as such farming was previously done in small scales.

But with the golems, and their protection, things are changing. The golems allowed the elves to gather fruits and various crops from further out, and the magical item that Ainz brought still amazed them greatly. Though the elves themselves are unable to operate them due to their weak magical energies, watching Ainz create mountain of foods from the magical horn was nothing short of a god's miracle.

Ainz was pretty much their new god emperor. Some say he is made of the Bones of the Elvish God, that had resurrected and now came to restore them to their proper place as masters of the world. In their own words, Ainz was their god reborn.

Scouts too, had been sent out to the nearby areas to search for the captured elven men, that are probably working as slaves. The plan was to rescue them and assimilate them into the city, and gradually increase the population of Necropolis.

So far, about 60 elves have been rescued. A small amount, but there are still many more tiny elven villages that can be assimilated.

The mayor of the Elves, is young as elves go. Newly appointed from the population, he exudes youth and energy, something the older folk determined as necessary, to keep up with the demands of their new Emperor.

"Your highness, I bring before you the twenty elven children."

"Thank you, Alpein." Ainz waved off the mayor, and examined the children. Barely 5 feet in height, they are still teens and have not matured to their full strength. Albedo looked curiously at them as well, and one could easily see the eyes of both fear and admiration in the children, as they are brought to face their new masters.

"What do you think, Albedo?"

"Ah, these children are weak. But with some training that can be useful to you, Ainz-sama." And then Albedo glared at the twenty children, and their posture shrunk in fear.

"I see. Can I leave the development of their training programme to you, Albedo? You can seek Cocytus's advise on that."

"Yes, I will do as you say, Ainz-sama."

"Now, children. The future of our nation will depend on your hands, it is up to you to be strong to protect it." Ainz spoke at the children, and then turned to face Albedo.

"I have other matters to attend to, Albedo. Let me know how it goes."

"My pleasure, Ainz-sama. I will whip these children into shape."

Ainz teleported away.

Albedo then glared at the twenty children.

"You twenty have been selected to serve the leader of the Supreme Beings, Ainz-sama. You will not be permitted to disappoint him. So prepare yourself to be trained."

The twenty children gulped, at what sort of hellish training they would soon undergo for their god.

* * *

Nazarick has been awfully quiet.

Shalltear wondered whether this was her punishment. For raising her weapon against Ainz-sama.

Albedo is attending to Necropolis. Cocytus is busy with the lizardmen villages and Hamsuke.

Demiurge is away, doing something she wasn't too sure about. Mare is at level 6, tending to the beasts, and Aura is with Wololo-sama. Sebas is still in Re-Estize, but are making plans to return.

"Shalltear."

Shalltear turned to see Ainz, and she beamed.

"Ah, Ainz-sama. You've returned from the elf town!"

"I see you've heard of my little project. Perhaps Shizu told you?"

"Yes yes. When will we be able to visit it."

"When it's in much better shape." Ainz was still not ready to showcase Necropolis, not with it's current miniscule population.

"Aww…" Shalltear pouted, "What will you be doing, Ainz-sama?"

"Nothing much, would like to get some reading done in the library."

"Oh.." Shalltear wasn't much of a fan of books. But Ainz regularly refers to books for guidance, on how to better manage his many many subordinates as the leader of Nazarick. And he's back to refer to some books Punitto Moe left on strategy.

"Anyway, you look quite bored here. I'll get Albedo to pass you the details of some old cemeteries we encountered, maybe you can find something useful for yourself."

"Oh you don't have to, Ainz-sama. I've caused you enough trouble."

Shalltear bowed, and Ainz teleported to the throne hall.

"There's a lot of moving pieces. I wonder how Demiurge and Albedo keeps track of everything that happens in Nazarick."

A maid walks in, notices the presence of their master, and bowed. Ainz waved her away, and then remembering the door to his room being unlocked, proceeding to lock it.

"There was that two skeletal dragons in E-Rantel… I wonder whether it'll be useful to re-summon them as protection for the elves…" Ainz wondered, and took out a blank piece of paper and wrote a few barely legible characters on them.

Elves take far too long to breed to maturity, so for this year's tournament, the level of competition probably isn't going to be very impressive. Ainz wondered what's the best way to sway these New Worlders to his side. Having them come over because of money would probably seem like a cop-out, and Ainz felt that he needed to have pride over the people he choose to represent him.

Its pretty much like breeding monsters. Borrowing other people's monsters and winning would be fun, but there's something hollow about such victories, because it's not your own effort.

And then there's the competition about the horses.

 _I wonder what Mare knows about horses._

Perhaps there are steppe nomads in this world too. Their horses would work the best in endurance races.

* * *

E-Rantel

Narbarel returned to the border town after a week of absence to return to Nazarick. Last week, when Ainz told her that they are putting the whole adventurer thing on hold, she was secretly happy. For Narbarel, pretending to be nice to these humans was really quite emotionally exhausting. She would rather just squish them.

It was more fitting for Ainz-sama to be the ruler that he is, by building cities and creating monuments. Surely such activities are more fitting for supreme beings, than this whole "play-adventurer" thing that they were engaged in. Though that was her opinion, it wasn't something she could say to Ainz-sama, lest she is viewed as challenging the divine wisdom of their god.

Furthermore, away at Necropolis gave Albedo valuable time with Ainz-sama.

But she's back. In E-Rantel.

Temporarily at least, to notify the guildmaster of their intention to depart elsewhere. Ainz-sama said, _"Let's not burn bridges that we may one day need to cross."_

Humans can be so complicated.

"Where's Momon-san?"

"Ah, Pluton-san. Momon-san wants to tell you that we've gotten some additional leads on a different demon we are looking for, so he has went ahead to track the demon. He sent me to tell you, because he is hot on the demon's trail. We've spent a long time trying to track him down."

"Is that so?" Pluton looked visibly dejected that his prized Adamantium-ranked adventurer is leaving E-Rantel.

"We'll be away for quite some time, but we will return someday."

"Is this demon really so important?"

"The fate of our world depends on it."

Pluton's posture sagged. If Momom-san would place such weight on the demon, it must be really important.

"It can't be helped, then."

Narbarel smiled, "Thank you for your help so far, Pluton-san."


	11. Chapter 9

Chapter 9 (version 2)

Signing up and joining the Slane Theocracy, as it goes, is probably the easier part. Fill up some forms, and go through some basic training, and that's it. You're an initiate into the hierarchy of priesthood and nuns!

It is just the first step, though.

As a new initiate, the Slane Theocracy organises various lectures, which all revolve around the teaching of the gods worshipped. An initiate should know better than the average populace about the religion which they profess, and what are the common challenges faced. That entire course on religion would be about 3 months, for the initiate introduction and induction, and many many years for more advanced studies into the faith. It's initiate introduction is 3 months, because most new initiates want to get to the good part, which is beginner classes in basic temple skills, such as light healing, and light, and the channelling of holy powers. Any longer than 3 months, and the young children gets irritated that they don't get to learn actual magic.

Anna, though she was a believer in the gods, she did not strongly hold or understand the teaching of the 6 gods. So the classes were an eye opener for her. It seems amongst her cohort, she was considered old, as initiates were as young as 5. The young children were happy to see an elder sister to join them in their studies, but the trainers themselves, usually dealt with kids, and as such felt she should join a different group for her studies.

Though, when she professes why she joined, which is at the beckoning of an evil spirit that cannot be removed by purge, they figured it's probably due to her mental baggage, and she is merely seeking comfort through faith. Most of the trainers were sympathetic to Anna's problem though they could offer little assistance or advice.

Anna's daily routine consisted of daily prayers, daily studies where they go through various books on the faith, recognising certain figures as gods and certain others as saints. There was a little bit on history too, on the origins of Slane Theocracy, and about the stories behind the six gods. The routine was quite tailored to the young children that the Theocracy often gets, so the books were very simple, big words and some basic artwork to keep the curious child interested.

It remains an effective means of indoctrination, similar to how children were schooled in churches or temples in the real world. By molding their thought process and worldview from a young age, one could ensure that most that graduate from such a system, are firm believers of the faith.

For Anna though, the books are too simple, and so the caretakers referred her to the temple library, a really basic library for the temple, that contained advanced materials meant for more mature readers. The small library, about the size of a 10 feet by 10 feet room, was arranged by the gods in which the subject referred to.

Of them all, the shelf dedicated to the god of death, was the most empty. Perhaps there is little to be said about death.

Anna's journey as a Slane Theocracy initiate, and spy, had just begun.

* * *

It's late autumn. In about a month, Necropolis finally hit 2,500.

It is a little achievement in Ainz's head, perhaps he figured an imaginary trophy would appear for completing certain milestones in games.

 _Achieve 2,500 population_ , it would read.

The explosive growth in population was primarily achieved by raiding of the nearby human towns, rescuing the captured elves, and convincing smaller elven villages along the way to join Necropolis.

Food variety at this point, still remained somewhat dependant on cornucopia, but borrowing a bit of Ainz's magic, the growth of the natural vegetation accelerated that some of them are now producing food. Greenhouses was also built, to ensure some food supplies in the coming winter. Within the greenhouses were fast growing crops, hardy ones like potatoes. The heat was trapped using a special enchantment, creating a temperature controlled environment for the quick growth of the food.

One brazen elf once asked, "Why can't we keep using that magic item for food, Emperor?"

To which an amused Ainz replied, "Because I don't intend to keep using my magic to feed you. Everyone should work, and learn to feed themselves." It was an unusually harsh comment.

Surely the concept of freeloaders are loathed in society, no?

They should earn their keep, and make themselves useful. Perhaps this was a concept that was somewhat foreign in this world, or was it because of some other reason?

Ainz overlooked the fact that the people of Necropolis considered his very being as a god, and surely a god giving out freebies is just nothing more than child's play. So his rebuke reminded the elves, that their god was one that demanded work, industry and labour, in exchange for rewards.

"My apologies, Ainz-sama." The brazen elf, kneeled and almost smacked his head hard on the ground, fearing to offend their great god.

"Learn your place. Ainz-sama's wisdom is vast, and mere mortals do not fathom his great vision." Albedo intervened, probably slightly amused at Ainz's rebuke.

The elf, still kneeling. "My sincere apologies, Ainz-sama. I am not worthy of questioning your wisdom."

 _Since when did the elves become so fearful of me? Is Albedo behind this?_

Ainz rubbed his jaw, before deciding it was a small matter.

"Apology accepted. You are dismissed."

Albedo glared at the elf, which quickly ran out of the door of the mansion that was built for their great Emperor. His face was still visibly pale, perhaps fearing an eventual punishment for their Emperor. The elf was one of the coordinators of the food supplies, and he feared he asked a question too many.

Ainz forgot the exchange as quickly as it happened. It probably did not register as anything particularly worth remembering, and turned to Albedo.

"How are the trainees?"

"The training of the first batch of children is disappointing, Ainz-sama. These younglings, some have barely any talent for weapons or magic. I say we dispose of them, as keeping them around would be a waste for your great empire."

Albedo looked a bit mixed between annoyance and sorrow, perhaps at her failure to cultivate the children.

"It will take a while, Albedo. A month is too short to see the true depth of anyone's abilities. Are you handling the training yourself, Albedo?"

"No, Ainz-sama. I've used some undead champions and liches to conduct most of the training."

Undead liches?

"Ah! That may be part of the problem. Do we have more human or elf looking warriors that can provide the training?"

"I thought of that, Ainz-sama, but I only know of Mare, but I'm afraid that would be against the rules?"

"Ah yes. The rules."

Ainz rubbed his jaw again, this time with his other hand. Then he remembered.

"I may have an item that can summon an elven warrior. Let me see whether I can find it…" Ainz's hands reached for the infinite abyss that is his inventory, and searched for the item.

"Ah, found it." Ainz took out a small bell, and handed it to Albedo. "This is the bell of the elven tavern. It randomly either a level 15 elven knight or soldier."

By all measures it was a trash item, but when your inventory is incredibly large, you never quite dispose or clean up unused items.

Albedo rang the bell, and a green light appeared. And from the green light, a handsome elven knight emerged.

"I am Elven Knight Haroo . At your service, my lady."

"The knight's yours to use, Albedo. Let me know if the knight disappears after a while."

"Yes, Ainz-sama. Will use the knight to train the children." Albedo then motioned the knight to follow her, and they left Ainz in the room.

"Ah, finally, some time alone..."

* * *

The King had received unfortunate news.

Perhaps as all kings go, the country is always in some kind of crisis. Either internally or externally, there was something to fill the worries, and create problems. A peaceful, prosperous country would always be the target of some ambitious person eager to upset the existing order.

"I'm sure the wise senior nobles of Re-Estize have all heard of the recent events."

"Oh, pardon me your majesty, I've been uninformed so far." Marquis Blumlash added. Raevan internally scowled, knowing Blumlash is faking it, wanting to lure out what the King knows.

King Lamposa smiled, he too was well aware of Blumlash's intent, but he would play along. "We've received reports from the north, that there may be a rebellion coming up. Most of those northern lands belong to minor nobles, and due to a string of fires, are now in dire need of food."

Gazef, who was also in the council room, admired how the King could say such dire things with a straight face. He knew the King anguished over it internally, but before the nobles, the great political game takes centerstage, and his natural politician emerges.

"Next, is western coastal nobles have reports of raids that seem to target their demi-human slaves. Have you heard of anything extra, since that's rather close to your dominion, Marquis Boullope?"

"Ah, some upstart elf town calling itself Necropolis. I'm about to raise an army of 10,000 and crush them." Boullope seemed confident, though the King's reports suggested that there was more to this elf town. Merchants that the King spoke to, described how the elves looked up to an undead god, referred to as the Great Emperor, Ainz Ooal Gown, the second coming of the Elven God.

King Lamposa knew that name. Gazef mentioned it before, as it was he, who saved his life from the trap of the Slane Theocracy. And if Gazef looks up to him so highly, 10,000 men may be way too few. But the King was not going to get in the way of the arrogant Boullope and his overconfidence. The King figured his advise to be wary of Ainz would only be wasted, and so he kept it to himself.

"I see. That's good to know that the warrior Marquis Boullope will attend to this town of Necropolis. We wish you swift and great victory." The King responded, perhaps a little snarky.

Prince Barbro and Prince Zanac was both in the council room, as observers. But it seemed something triggered then.

"Father, allow me to join Marquis Boullope and crush this puny upstart. I shall have my personal troops and conscripts to form an army of an additional 10,000 men. With our combined army of 20,000, this tiny elf town won't stand a chance." Prince Barbro raised.

King Lamposa wanted to sigh. _Stupid child_. _Barbro must've thought this would be an easy task, given our overwhelming numbers._ But Gazef cautioned the King in private, to be careful when dealing with Ainz. But Boullope had probably whispered some thoughts into Barbro's head, and would see any attempt to disallow him, going against his chance to rise up as king.

"Very well, Barbro. You may go with Marquis Boullope, if it's not too much trouble to him."

"Certainly not, your majesty." Boullope spoke, with a hint of snarkiness. "Prince Barbro would be a great help."

Both Marquis Raevan and Prince Zanac rolled their eyes at how terrible their acting is. Prince Barbro must've wanted to use this as an opportunity to firmly establish himself as the primary successor.

It was then Blumlash added oil to the fire. "Surely these elven lands shall be given to Boullope and Prince Barbro?"

Gazef mentally wanted to smack that fat Marquis. Victory is not yet a given, and here they are, talking about the spoils.

But the King had seen in coming. "Yes, yes. It'll be split in 3, a portion for Marquis Boullope, a portion for Barbro, and a third portion for the royal house, for providing the supplies along the way."

Blumlash grinned. "Excellent, your majesty."

"Anyway, to the next matter."

The King motioned the attendees to move to the next scroll.

"What are we to do of the insurgency up north?"

"Ah, we've heard their protests many times. But they've never took up arms against us. Why would now be any different?"

"Surely it just is their usual grumbling. It is not as if the rest of the country has plenty of food to spare."

"Well, reports has it that some of them has taken up arms."

"That's just swagger. If we were to march 50,000 men up north they will promptly surrender."

"I hear a chain of fires had caused food stockpiles to dwindle. Surely there is more to it…"

"Your majesty, since this worries you, why not send some of your good men to check it out."

"Ah but my dear noble, I would like to have your support before marching my men through your fiefdoms."

It was one of those aim left but meant to hit the right kind of feints, it seems.

"Ah you are right, your majesty. That would be highly disruptive to trade and commerce. Perhaps a smaller party no larger than 5,000 men would do. Perhaps call it an expeditionary force against monsters."

"5,000 would surely lose if the towns combine their men."

"And what makes you think they have the ability to? There is no clear leader amongst the northern towns, and all the minor nobles would rather stab each other than work together." It seemed some of the great nobles have little understanding of how the north is united in their neglect from the south, and that neglect can prove to be a powerful unifier.

Raevan moved to calm the discussion, "I will arrange for some of my men to further investigate, your majesty. There is no need to be hasty."

"Very well, since Raevan volunteered, the rest of us would not object."

"Then I shall entrust this to you, Marquis Raevan."

Marquis Raeven breathed a sigh of relief. The nobles would feel insecure if the king marched his army right into their lands, especially if they cannot reasonably raise an army to prevent a surprise attack. Perhaps they fear something. Maybe they suspect the king knows their allegiances, and a large army passing through would be a very convenient time to make a mess..

"Lastly, I take you have heard of the disappearance of the Blue Rose's leader, Lakyus?"

"Indeed. Most distressing. I have gotten extra guards just in case, as now death is no longer resolved by resurrection." it was the old counts turn to speak. Not strange for the one so close to knocking on death's door.

"There's not much we can do about it, other than engage someone to find her. But with the rest of the Blue Rose fully committed to locate her, I think adding more people would only complicate things for them."

Wise, from the Marquis. But the King had other reasons to bring it up.

"Barbro and Boullope. Whilst I trust your combat skills greatly, please do not be arrogant in your next battle with the Elven town. There would be no resurrects, and it would pain me greatly to lose you."

"Have faith in my ability, father. I can fight better than anyone else in the family, some elf or undead isn't going to hurt me."

"May the gods protect you."

Boullope grinned, "Fear not, your majesty. The future king will be well protected."

Prince Zanac felt his stomach churn at the word 'future king.' But this was not his time to speak. Marquis Raeven too felt a bitter taste in his mouth, at such a person to take over from King Lamposa. All the noise but lacking the brains or the empathy.

The King smiled, but Gazef known his liege long enough to recognise it was a fake one. Perhaps the nobles too, know it is a fake smile. But nobody would call the king out on that.

What came after was a rundown of the empire's other matters, such as the overall food shortages, preparations for the upcoming war with the empire, and crime.

* * *

A while later, after the meeting was dismissed.

"Your Majesty."

"What is it, Gazef?"

"Sending Prince Barbro is… dangerous. It is a very strong opponent, that we are up against." Gazef really meant to protect the royal house, even if they were stupid people like Barbro.

"I know you believe so, but I can't stop my children from acting in what they feel is best for them. As much as I think they are being stupid, sometimes they have to fall and learn from their mistakes."

"Your majesty, what if the force fails? What should we do? I've met Ainz Ooal Gown, perhaps I can negotiate with him for a peaceful coexistence. Surely war doesn't have to be the only decision we can make..."

"Well, if we suggest that outright, the nobles would have jumped on us. That I, King Lamposa, is a coward, senile and no longer willing to defend our own lands. How would that look, Gazef? The right decision, is hard to make."

Gazef sighed. So much politicking.

"But if this expedition fails, I will send you to negotiate. Having tried war, and failed, the nobles will come to their senses."

"Yes, your majesty. I will be at your service. But I believe we fail to come to a resolution on the northern rebellion."

"Officially, they have not yet rebelled. And marching an army through Marquis Blumlash and Count Lytton's lands would upset them greatly."

"Pardon me, your majesty, but letting Raeven handle it is a good idea? Who knows what that two headed fox is planning."

"But what he suggests is the right thing to do. He may be two-headed, but I find his actions understandable. Enough, Gazef. It's been very tiring. I do not want to justify this further to you."

"My apologies, your majesty. Allow me to escort you to your chambers."

"Yes, walk with me."

…

…

"Are you going to see him off, Princess?"

"Who? My brother? Why should I?"

"Yes, Prince Barbro." Climb didn't add what he wanted to say, but just let his mistress continue.

Princess Renner adjusted her dress a little, and stood up. "You're right, Climb-kun. I should see him off." The princess walked out, and Climb followed. It's a relatively small group, comprising of the Princess, Climb, and 2 other royal guards.

Prince Barbro's expedition, as it may be, was something Renner cared little for, but for her long term goals, she would like it very much if he failed. Prince Barbro would surely marry her off to some greedy, lustful noble to secure their support.

Such a brother wasn't worthy of her time. But formalities do call for it, and even Prince Zanac was at the castle gate, awaiting the first Prince. At the inner gates, the royals and nobles had gathered. The King too, was present.

"Safe journey, my son. May you be successful." The King tapped his sword on Prince Barbro's shoulder.

"Thank you father. You could consider retiring after my triumphant return." Prince Barbro replied, his tone a little snarky.

"We'll talk when the time comes, son. Now, go and return safely."

"Hmmph." Prince Barbro got onto his white, armored horse, and then started to ride out the gate with his entourage of knights.

Prince Zanac, and Princess Renner, both stood next to the King, and waved. "Good luck." They both didn't mean it. It wasn't long before the first prince's group was out of the gates, and the whole sendoff was over.

"Do you think he'll be king, sister?"

"Sister? That's rare for you to refer to me that way."

"I mean no harm, Renner."

She chuckled, "I know. Perhaps we should work together? We both appear not keen on the outcome, should Barbro succeed."

"Father has not committed that he will be king, yet."

"Don't try anything stupid. If he's randomly injured, but the expedition is successful, you'll be the prime suspect."

Zanac had a shock. He was planning to orchestra an accident during the expedition.

"Perhaps the elves should suddenly discover that an army is headed for them."

"That sounds much better, doesn't it?"

…

…

Ainz was amused at the letter. A human messenger came on a fast horse, and came to inform them of the army that was marching towards them.

20,000 men, and they will arrive in 2 weeks via the southeastern valley.

He looked at the human messenger, who was shaking at the sight of Ainz's intimidating figure. He wanted to smile, but Ainz figured he'll look even more creepy.

"Say my thanks to the sender, the folk will provide you food and shelter, and you can be off tomorrow with one of our horses. But I will keep your horse, if you don't mind." It must be a pretty fast horse, and Ainz wanted to keep it.

"Not at all.. Sir." The messenger spoke, stuttering in between.

"But fear not. 20,000 men are just ordinary soldiers. If there's no exceptional individuals among them, we will have no problems dealing with them." Ainz then motioned one of the elf maids to show the messenger his way to his room.

"Albedo. Send some scouts. I doubt there's anyone that's a threat, but we can never be too sure."

Albedo bowed. "Yes, Ainz-sama."

"I'll leave defensive preparations to you. I'll get the skeletal dragons ready." Ainz had collected the bones to summon the skeletal dragons earlier. Summoning them himself should be child's play, given his mastery of the undead arts.

Ainz stepped out of the manor and into the vast field of bones, where the bones from neighbouring lands had been gathered. He instituted a policy where when people die, their bones are to be gathered here, for his military use.

[Animate : skeletal dragon]

Two large skeletal dragons emerged. Far larger than the ones they fought earlier, they also had a black cloud that swirls around them. They seem about level 50 in strength each, a result of various undead-related skillboosts and passives, more than sufficient to scare off the enemy army. Demiurge had earlier summarised the relative military strength of nations, and a single skeletal dragon at lvl 50 should be sufficient to cause a lot of harm to 20,000 men. So two, would be somewhat overdoing it.

The two dragons roared, and the air itself seemed to shake.

The elves nearby visibly froze, some screaming at the sight of the two massive bone dragons. Not everyday you see a massive dragon. The dragons though, nimbly stepped away of any friendly elves and walked into the forests beyond the walls, in the direction of the enemy army.

Massive creatures like the skeletal dragons have a useful passive when facing large armies. Their innate "intimidate" effect weakens the resolve of enemies, making them less organised. If the dragons don't work, Ainz had other cards to play.

…

…

The army assembled by Boullope and Barbro, though 20,000 strong, was actually primarily staffed by conscripts. Men of age, forced to fight by decree of the nobility and royalty, many of which have very little experience in actual combat, or the greater finesse of war. Of that number, only a quarter can be considered trained men, the personal troops of Boullope and Barbro.

In many ways, they were three armies, instead of one. Boullope's trained men, Barbro's guards and the conscripts. Their arms reflect the gap between them, with Boullope's men the most well armed.

"When you become king, you owe me one."

"Yes yes, I will suitably reward you."

"Perhaps your sister as my plaything would be nice."

"You can have her, she means nothing to me. All that matters is I become king."

"Ambitious. I like that about you, Prince Barbro."

"King Barbro, soon enough."

A visibly pale trooper ran into the camp, and screamed, interrupting the two.

"Milord! There are two skeletal dragons headed our way."

"Who are you to intrude on our conversation-"

A loud explosion was heard, followed by screams. The Prince and Boullope rushed out of the camp, grabbing their swords along the way out.

It seems war had come to them, first.

Two massive skeletal dragons were swiping their troops left and right, swinging their massive boney tails and smashing them into the troops easily. Many were fleeing, unprepared to face a dragon in war.

 _Thwack._

 _Smack._

The dragons ruthlessly fling their tails around, and slashing any nearby troops with their two large claws.

Occasionally they breathed out a toxic smoke, causing some of the men to vomit and lose consciousness.

 _Thwack._

 _Smack._

A few soldiers flew in the air, hit by the dragon's tail, and landed next to Marquis Boullope.

"Run, my lord!"

Boullope screamed. "Where are the archers? Shoot flaming arrows at the dragons!"

A few of the nearby men repeated the Marquis' command, and flaming arrows soon came down on the skeletal dragons in volleys.

But the high level dragons were largely unhurt. Their bones were charred slightly, taking some damage, but they could keep on smashing the troops and the camps.

"More flaming arrows!"

"Fire flaming arrows in succession, and put some distance in."

Boullope may be a warmonger, but he wasn't exactly stupid. The personal troops followed the commands, and the dragons were showered in flames. Though minimal damage, it delays their movement and allows the melee troops to retreat.

"Catapults and ballistas to the front! Smash the dragons' bones with something hard! Pick up any rock you can find!"

The few catapults and ballistas meant for the siege were quickly armed with whatever rocks they could find and thrown at the skeletal dragons.

The army is retreating, and the conscript flee like a panicked mob, whilst the small groups of trained men tried their best to arm the heavy weapons. Ballistas and catapults fling boulders and the two dragons, occasionally smashing into them and causing them the stagger backwards.

But they were still alive. And their broken bones regenerated quickly.

The ballistas and catapults kept firing, buying time for the rest of the ill equipped army to flee.

About 1 hour of constant barrages from Boullope's catapults, the dragons still were largely unhurt and they could keep moving. It seemed they had greater regeneration than the usual skeletal dragons that Boullope had seen in the past.

They pulled the ballistas whilst they fired. Alternating firing and movement between a few ballistas to keep causing the dragons to stagger.

At least casualties were minimised, and the bulk of the army is now some distance away. Boullope estimated probably around 2,000 men died, mostly the helpless conscripts. The dragons did not pursue the fleeing army further, and they stayed at the previous campsite, something that Boullope found highly relieving. If the dragon gave chase, none of them would have lived.

The men regrouped about 10 miles away from their campsite, though most of the conscripted troops had probably fled.

Only the personal troops remain.

"What do we do now?" Prince Barbro looked visibly pale. This was supposed to be his clean victory, against some elf and undead lich. He did not expect that the lich has such massively powerful undead dragons at their disposal.

"Those were not normal skeletal dragons. They had far higher fire resistance and their regeneration is very high."

"That don't matter. What are we going to do to win?"

"Win? You're lucky that the skeletal dragons didn't give chase!"

"What? The great Marquis Boullope claiming that we are lucky that they didn't give chase? Do you know how this will look if news gets out we lost to some elves? Your dreams of having Renner is gone. Gone!"

Barbro wasn't pulling his punches in taunting Boullope at all.

But Boullope didn't buy it. "You stupid prince. That dragon would have killed us if it tried. We cannot win with our existing army. We need to retreat and get some good adventurers to come with us. Maybe Red Drop or Darkness."

Barbro looked bewildered. "How dare you!"

It was then one of Marquis Boullope's senior captains came in.

"Confirmed, milord. The skeletal dragons are not pursuing. But we see some wraiths floating around."

"I'm calling this off, Barbro."

"No you are not. We are taking the town one way or another. Can't we avoid the dragons?"

"What makes you think the dragons won't follow us? The fact that we got surprised or even ambushed by it tells you they know where we are. And there are wraiths out there looking for us."

"We will retreat in shame! SHAME! I cannot accept this!"

"I'd rather we live, and come back better prepared. We are not prepared for dragons or wraiths. We were expecting a conventional enemy, Barbro! We need magic and adventurers to fight skeletal dragons!"

Boullope's captain was in agreement, but he kept his mouth shut.

"This... This is unacceptable!" Barbro stormed off, out of the makeshift camp.

A short while later, Boullope vented. "That idiot!" He then turned to the captain, "Why didn't we see the dragons coming?"

"We were not expecting them, sir."

"What kind of a stupid answer is that! Where were our scouts?"

"They were towards the town, sir, but they did not notice the two dragons that came out of the forests!"

"What about our rangers?"

"We didn't hear from them."

"For how long?"

"Uhmm…"

Boullope was upset. "Idiots." He took a few deep breaths, and then asked. "How many did we lose?"

"About 2,000. Sir. The conscripted army has all fled, though. We'll probably find them in the nearest human town. Do you want us to gather them back?"

"For what? As fodder for the dragons?"

The captains held their tongue.

"We retreat. We need proper arms, and adventurers. Mages as well, perhaps even some holy magic users." Boullope looked around, and at the map. He then pointed to a town, and instructed them to go there.

Barbro on the other hand went back to his own camp, and looked at the captains of his own guards.

"What do you guys think? Give me some ideas!" Prince Barbro was fuming. He would not accept a retreat.

"We could…hire some adventurers? Claim that we are laying siege to the enemy but are actually waiting here?"

"Perhaps we could say we are making a blockade, as we're still waiting for a good time to invade."

"That's… That's a good idea. Let's build a simple wall and say we're defending."

"It won't last against the dragon though."

"Doesn't matter. I cannot retreat so swiftly! I'll just say I'm entrusting some of you to keep the dragons at bay, whilst I attend to other matters,"

"As you command, sir."

…

…

The skeletal dragons were more effective that expected. The army that marched towards Necropolis had practically no exceptional individuals capable of handling of large dragon of that size, comprising of mostly basic infantry. The experienced men, were ill equipped, and did not have heavy maces or crushing weapons that could deal some damage to the dragons.

"It's wonderful, Ainz-sama. But why did we spare them? Is it not better to eliminate these enemies outright. They surely will return for revenge."

"You're right, Albedo. But I also want to let the news of their defeat to the dragons sink in a while."

"I see. The wraiths report that they are building some kind of makeshift wall, using whatever they materials they gathered nearby."

"A blockade?"

"It seems that way, but I wonder why they felt such a flimsy wall would be effective against our dragons. Perhaps it's just a distraction. Maybe they would attempt a smaller infiltration team instead."

"You're right, Albedo. Do we have countermeasures against assassins and spies?"

"The wraiths will spot anyone unusual. The gargoyles stationed on the walls too will keep watch. They won't get anywhere near."

"Hmm, are the elves of any use?"

"As of now, no. They're too fresh and their training incomplete."

"Ah, a pity then."

"Who are the leaders?"

"From a few of the fleeing men we captured, it seems it's led by a prince named Barbro, and a senior noble called Boullope. Boullope and his men seemed to have retreated further to a human settlement, whereas the Prince and his men is the one building the wall."

"Are they that confident we won't attack their wall while they are building it?"

"They are being foolish, Ainz-sama. The dragons will make short work of the walls. And the wraiths can fly. They're probably just reacting out of habit by building walls against enemies that they cannot defeat."

"Is that so…" Ainz pondered his options. "Anyway, let's see what they have planned. Gather more information, and do not engage yet. Perhaps the prince can be useful to us."

"I've already sent more wraiths to spy on them. Will attempt to capture more humans to gather intel."

"Then I leave it to you. Let me know if anything happens." Ainz then stood up, and teleported away, back to Nazarick.

…

EDIT : I still haven't decided on the Jaldaboath event. Maybe not.

Anyway, thanks for the reviews. It's really great :)


	12. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Raeven had a good laugh at the news when he first read it.

" _Prince Barbro is engaged in a fearsome battle that is now a stalemate, against two massive skeletal dragons. The mighty prince and his courageous men are building a strong wall to hold off the dragons from invading Re-Estize."_

It was ridiculously well worded, when what he meant to say was, he's in trouble and needs help fighting skeletal dragons. But commoners probably wouldn't see it that way. Ah the art of public relations.

Raeven had a different set of problems. The northern states had not marched any army against the kingdom, or formally organised themselves, so attacking them as it is will surely cause them to rebel. So far, his spies report that there were just various discussions and meetings on tackling the famine that they faced, perhaps some towns taking up arms but none daring to act without the rest of the north moving together, and grumblings on why the southern nobles are so reluctant to assist their fellow countrymen. Preventing this rebellion, required subtlety and a gentle hand, to soothe the anger of the north.

Raeven had gotten his dominion to transport some extra food stockpiles to the north, but the amount he had would not stop the famine outright. However, it should delay the onset of starvation by a week or two, depending on how much is lost along the way. The north was home to hardy, somewhat neglected folk, and their approach to food reflects it. In desperation they would do whatever it takes to survive. The colder weathers necessitate it, and perhaps they would survive on horsemilk and whatever native animals they could hunt for meat.

Still, if nothing was done, a rebellion will happen. The north had held long simmering grudges against the south for long, but did nothing out of respect for the king. Though with starvation and the nobles reluctance to assist, rebellion seemed to him is just waiting around the corner.

Erik Devail, is one of the few key individuals in this plot, and perhaps the most reasonable of them. And if Raeven wanted to prevent a rebellion, he would need to get him on his side. He'd met him once, when the King made a trip to the north during the short skirmishes against the blue snow orcs that live on the tundra many years ago. Raeven remembered him as a reserved but capable warrior, and once asked him to join his men. But the death of his father meant Erik had higher callings, and a domain to administer.

It was important he met him personally, to hold this country together. So Raeven left the capital with a group of adventurers and guards, a relatively small group of about a hundred men.

* * *

The invasion of Necropolis had stalled. With news spreading that Prince Barbro and Marquis Boullope is summoning help from across the land, the opportunity to rise up had presented itself. With Boullope and Barbro's army preoccupied with the campaign against the elf town, the town chiefs and other nobles gathered at Kest Estree once more.

Erik, was visibly stressed, and his eyes showed it. He didn't expect the chance to come so quickly, and so suddenly. He had hoped that the war of the empire come spring would be when they had to decide, and he also hoped his compatriots' burning anger had subsided by then. War was something that he hoped to avoid.

"This is our chance. The king won't be able to push their full strength against us when the threat of two skeletal dragons and that elven nation remains."

"Aren't we being opportunistic, by stabbing the king when he is weak?" It was a metaphor, that one of the nobles used. "The country faces the threat of the undead, and instead of assisting the country, we rise up against it!"

"We had enough of the great noble's whims. Many of our good young men sent on silly projects, and nothing for ourselves!"

"Guys, calm down." Erik yelled. He wanted some time off. "We shouldn't rush into this. We have not solved our food problem by rising up against the King."

"But we should, Erik! Prince Barbro and Boullope is summoning more forces from through the country to join their battle against the skeletal dragons! If not now, then when?"

"We'd still be hungry if we fought this war."

"I'd rather be hungry and free, than hungry and enslaved."

"Captain, this is not the time to be arguing ideals. If we lose, we'd all lose our heads."

"We won't. The dragons won't go down so easily. I've heard from some of the fleeing conscripts that they had bones that glowed in the sunlight, and did not suffer much burn damage from the flaming arrows. This expedition by the Prince will take up a lot of men, if they want to win."

"Captain." Erik tried to calm the former army captain.

"Erik! This is our chance. If we get all the northern cities to send some men to the 4 mountain passes, and everyone else to the Re-Fanta plains, we would have a strong defensive position."

"And what are we going to do once Boullope's invasion is over?"

"We'll fight, Erik. All of us will." The Captain and another minor chief said. "Even if we die afterwards."

"This isn't how it should go, Captain. Let's not throw our lives at a plan that won't lead us anywhere."

"Erik. It'll work. We just have to figure it out along the way. Maybe we can even borrow a skeletal dragon or two."

"You're out of your mind, captain."

"No, I'm serious. The enemy of my enemy is my friend!"

"Captain."

Erik was really stressed. But the captain had a point. An envoy to the elf town might be a good idea.

* * *

"It seems our fears were correct, your majesty. Ainz Ooal Gown is more powerful than they've expected."

"Gazef. I'll need your help to diffuse the situation. Ask what Ainz Ooal Gown would want, for peace. All out war would be no good for any of us." The King commanded, he looked visibly upset at how badly it went. But Gazef knew he was relieved that Barbro still lived.

Gazef bowed. "I'll do my best, and depart tonight on our fastest horses."

"Come back safely."

Gazef left, and went home to gather some supplies for the trip. And he saw Brain resting in the living room.

"Brain. I'm leaving tonight."

"You don't look too good."

"Remember I once told you I've met a very strong man? I'm going to see him, and I'm going to leave tonight."

Brain stared for a while at Gazef, trying to guess his intentions.

"Let me go with you."

"I'm afraid not, I'd put you in too much risk."

"You underestimate me, Gazef?"

"I don't mean to. But…"

"Gazef, just shut it, and let me go."

"Fine. Get ready and we leave at nightfall. Tell no one."

Brain laughed. "Tell no one? You planned on having me come with you, didn't you?"

"It's a lonely trip."

Gazef smiled, and they both left to pack. It took about an hour, but they met at the living room again with a small bag each, and soon left for the army stables.

They got onto their fastest horses, and rode out in the night. With those horses, they could reach Necropolis in three days, instead of the two weeks it takes for a marching army.

* * *

The former campsite was wrecked. The two skeletal dragons, patrolled the area, stomping through anything there without a care. It's a campsite built between forests, next to a small stream for water. Now though, the river is bloody, and bodies were scattered everywhere, all bearing the crushing destruction brought by the two dragons.

"Gather the bodies and the bones."

"Yes, Emperor Ainz." The fifty plus elves that Ainz brought spread out and collected the corpses and bodies of those killed, and dragged them to an empty clearing, and piled them on top of one another. It was hard work, but if their lord commanded it, they will do so.

It took a whole day, but very soon all of them were piled up, almost 2,000 bodies.

[Store Corpses]

Ainz pointed his staff at the pile of bodies and all of them started to glow. And then they vanished. Using the store corpse ability, Ainz could unstore them to create undead some other day. Having corpses at his disposal is quite useful as a necromancer.

Ainz looked at his two skeletal dragons, and admired their large form. He was tempted to use the bodies gathered to summon another one, but then decided against it.

"Ainz-sama. The wraiths spot two riders coming towards us at high speeds."

"Oh?" Ainz thought for a while, and smiled at Albedo. "Let them come. Everyone else fall back to Necropolis."

An hour later, the sun was almost setting. The campsite has been cleared of all weapons and armor, that will be reused by the elves for their defense. The elves too, had retreated back to the city. Salvaging weapons was Albedo's idea, and it made sense since Necropolis's blacksmith is not able to supply a large quantity of weapons yet.

Now, they were waiting for their guests. Albedo summoned a maid to bring over a set of chairs and a coffee table, with a large umbrella for them to wait. Only Albedo, Ainz, and the two dragons remain. Albedo sat on the chair, enjoying a cup of tea whilst Ainz read a complicated sounding book.

And their guests arrived as expected.

"I somehow expected to see you, Gazef." Ainz rose from his sturdy chair.

The two horses slowed down, and eventually stopped, about 200 meters away from the two dragons and Ainz.

Brain Unglaus, experienced a flashback of the feeling he felt when he faced Shalltear, only worse. Ainz's Despair Aura radiated from his massive form like a massive hydra, far larger than his actual physical body, and it reached out like a tentacle, almost grazing him.

It was thoroughly intimidating, but he remembered Sebas's word, and looked at Gazef. And somehow he found comfort in the Warrior Captain's unflinching, stern face.

"Indeed, Ainz-san. I've wished we met on far more pleasant circumstances."

"I believe it's pleasant enough as it is." The sun was gentle, the sky washed orange.

Ainz's aura subsided somewhat.

"So, why are you here?"

Gazef dismounted, and so did Brain.

"I'm here to negotiate, Ainz-san."

"I see. I was prepared for assassins instead. If you really mean to negotiate, then this battlefield is not a suitable place for discussions."

"Yes, we are serious. I'm sent personally by the king, and we mean to negotiate." Gazef dropped his sword on the ground.

"Ah, you don't have to do so." Ainz raised his two hands, his body language suggesting that the sword wouldn't harm him anyway.

Ainz walked closer to the two humans, and Brain instinctively reached for his weapon. Perhaps it was fear, in control. He gripped it hard, his palms sweaty. Gazef noticed, and tapped Brain, to signal him to stand down.

They were almost 2 meters away from each other.

"Let's go somewhere a bit more pleasant."

[Greater Teleportation]

A magical ring appeared around Albedo, Ainz and the two men, and it teleported them into the center of Necropolis.

"Welcome to Necropolis, Gazef." Ainz said, his arms wide.

Gazef and Brain was a little nervous, having teleported to a new place. But he found his composure quickly.

"Thank you. I've not yet introduced my companion. This is Brain Unglaus, a friend of mine."

Brain gave an awkward bow, he was obviously unaccustomed to formalities.

"I see. I'm Ainz Ooal Gown. This is Albedo, Overseer of the Guardians."

Ainz and Albedo then brought them into the manor that served as Ainz's office, and sat them in the meeting room.

"So, what exactly do you want to negotiate? Speak quickly." Albedo added.

"Peace. We, the Kingdom of Re-Estize, would like to coexist with you."

"That's a tempting offer, Gazef. But it's surely strange for that offer to come. Your countrymen just tried to attack us. With 20,000 men."

"I apologise for that, on behalf of the king as well. There were… political forces at work, that forced our hand."

"I believe you've passed the wall that your Prince is building as well? What's the meaning of that?" Ainz continued.

"Yes, but with the two skeletal dragons, the walls would crumble easily. Surely someone as powerful as Ainz-san wouldn't be so easily stopped by a flimsy wall."

Ainz laughed. Somehow the laugh came out very villainy. It vibrated in the meeting room like the cliched villain laughing as they revealed their not-so-secret plans. Albedo smiled too, appreciating Gazef's brutal honesty.

"You're a smart one, Gazef. Ever thought of working for me?"

"I'm afraid I have to decline, Ainz-san. My loyalty to the king is absolute."

Brain, who was also in the meeting, found it strange that Gazef could hold such a relaxed conversation with the fearsome undead lich before them. It's surely a strange feeling.

"Anyway back on topic. Peace, you say?"

"Yes, we would like to have peace, with this new country of yours." Gazef repeated himself.

"I would not take peace, Gazef. Not when your prince tries to blockade us, and your noble is gathering adventurers to attack us again."

"Your network of informants is quite vast, Ainz-san. And so, please allow me to be truthful. There are factions in our country jostling for power, and some of them would not accept peace. It is this faction that now strives to attack you, and claim the victory to strengthen their position in the country. My king has his hands tied by these factions, and the foolish prince is attempting to convince the country he is worthy of kingship."

"Ah. So it's unfortunate for them, in their quest for position, that I'm putting up greater resistance than expected, then." Ainz leaned back on his chair. "Tell me honestly then, do you like this prince?"

Gazef could not answer. It would be treachery if he did speak his mind.

"Your silence tells us enough."

"Marquis Boullope and Prince Barbro would attempt to attack again. It is an act born of their arrogance, and does not reflect the will of our king. I hope you are merciful and wise to see that we do want to live peacefully. War, is no good for us." Gazef tried to sidestep the question.

"Human, are you trying to ask our great Ainz-sama to consider these belligerents as independent actors?" Albedo chimed in.

Gazef was silent. The winged lady had hit the point.

"Yes. And we'd hope you'll be merciful and spare the noble and the prince."

Brain couldn't quite understand what he just heard. Gazef was begging for mercy?

Ainz laughed.

"Very well! I will treat them gently. And I am a friendly person after all. So here's my terms if you want a ceasefire, after I crush these 'independents'. It's a ceasefire, not peace, yet. So, take this back to your king. We want full recognition as a nation, our territories will be clearly drawn and marked, unrestricted trade rights, an annual tribute of 20 of your fastest horses, your country is also to release all the demi-human slaves in the nearby nations and send them to us, and… " Ainz looked over to Albedo. "Erm.. Albedo, any more?"

Albedo smiled. "Perhaps these two men can represent us in the upcoming games?"

Ainz laughed, "Great idea. And the two of you to represent Necropolis is a little event we are having."

Gazef and Brain suddenly wondered what this little 'game' that they were talking about.

Ainz though looked reasonably cheerful. "What do you think?"

"We'll need to let the king know of the terms. But it sounds… reasonable to me."

"Alright, call the elf scribe to come over and write down our terms, and pass that document to Gazef, so he can present it to his king." Such a corporate thing to do, writing down documents and sending it as a formal proposal to their bosses.

An old elf walked in, with a large beautiful parchment, and Ainz repeated the terms as he said it. The elf then furiously attacked the parchment with his ink pen. In about 15 minutes, the terms has been written, and presented to Ainz and Albedo for their verification.

AInz put on his special reading glasses, and read through the terms again.

"Great." Then he paused, and turned to Albedo. "I think we do not have a seal for Necropolis, yet."

Albedo blushed. "Oh my. You're right! We do have the seal for Nazarick though."

"Never mind. Gazef, could you take this as it is, for now."

"It'll do."

"Should your king accept it, we will reproduce two copies, and have them sealed with both our country's seal. That can happen later."

Albedo made a mental note to start working on the official Necropolis seal and insignia later. Ainz handed the document to Gazef, and noticed that it's already quite late.

"It's late. Perhaps you should have some rest at one of our new inns. We've just built them for the merchants."

"Oh, that's thoughtful of you. We'll take our leave, then. May we have peace someday, Ainz-san."

"I hope so too. But that'll depend on you and your king, Gazef."

Albedo then ordered an elven maid to bring them to the new inn, and the two human warriors followed.

After the two humans left, Albedo asked.

"Ainz-sama. We can crush them, no?"

"Yes, but flinging out military might everywhere isn't going to make us right."

"Ah..."

"It's often better to coerce some favors out of these humans."

"So wise of you, Ainz-sama."

* * *

"Gazef."

"Yes, Brain?"

"Will the king accept those terms?"

"He will. It's not exactly terrible terms. It's the nobles that I'm worried of. To accept such terms when Prince Barbro and Marquis Boullope had begun a war would be a slap to their faces, and they won't take it lightly."

"So, that's why you asked them to be merciful?"

"No. I'm afraid they will only understand why we have to accept those terms, when they go to war again... And lose really badly."

"Since when did you've become such a political animal." Brain joked, whilst fiddling with a wooden cup.

"The king confides his thoughts often. I learn some of these things along the way."

Brain laughed and the mood became less serious. The room they were in were reasonably well furnished, and had two comfortable single beds. Sufficient for them two. Brain placed his head on the soft new pillow.

"He's a lot scarier than Shalltear."

"Yes. He radiates an incredible power. But he's reasonable, and honorable. That's why I know he can be reasoned with, and so I proposed a negotiation to the King."

"That's true. Well, we'll have to head back tomorrow early, and let the king know of the terms, then."

"Yes. I'm more worried about Marquis Boullope. I'll need to get the king to talk to him."

* * *

The Marquis's men had regrouped in a small town of Calari, home to some 20,000 people. So a large group like the marquis was easily noticed, and felt. There were not enough accommodation, that camps were perched outside the town walls.

The Marquis's inner circle of army advisers had sent out mails to all nearby adventurer guilds, requesting for all their experienced adventurers to assist in the upcoming battle against the skeletal dragons. Equipments were being shipped from his domain to re-equip his men for combat against monsters.

It's not an invasion, but more of a monster slaying trip. And the arms had to reflect that.

The entire revamp of the forces were handled by Marquis's captains, a group of capable warriors in their own right. Additional troops from Boullope's domain was also called in. If he wanted to be the puppetmaster behind the King, he could not fail. And so Blumlash and Lytton too sent over some of their experienced men to assist.

Boullope himself though, was drowning himself in alcohol. He was upset, and he needed to let off his frustration.

"Stupid… stupid… elves."

* * *

Prince Barbro was back in the capital.

Quietly. Without any fanfare, the prince swiftly went through the city and into the castle. Perhaps he was afraid. Or maybe he was ashamed at how spectacularly he had failed.

"Oh, Barbro. Back so soon?" One of the people Barbro didn't want to see in that hallway. His own sister.

"Oh. Renner. When are you getting married to some noble?" Barbro had offered Renner up to some nobles in exchange for their support.

"Maybe after you become king."

"It won't be long, then."

"Oh really?" Renner flashed a wide smile, and then walked off. "Good luck then."

Princess Renner walked away to gardens, her mood joyous. Prince Barbro on the other hand, was in a foul mood. But he had come back to see the King, to convince him that he had not failed. If he wanted to be king, he could not let his brother stab and whisper bad things about him while he is away.

* * *

The oracle's house is a simple, unassuming place in the capital. A small shophouse, where the floor below is home to a tailor, and a stairway at the side to the home.

Princess Renner had come here often in the past, for some insight into the future. But today, it was not the princess that came.

"I thought you weren't a believer of oracles."

"I am not. But we're out of options." Evileye replied. "We need you to find Lakyus."

"I see…"

The oracle, an old lady with wrinkled skin, sat down, and then motioned to rest of the Blue Rose to sit down. The room they were in is thinly decorated. A simple painting of a flower hung on the wall, and a small pot of another flower on a coffee table.

They say around a round table, barely enough to fit the five of them. And the oracle brought out a box, and a bowl of water.

"A drop of your blood, please."

Gagaran made a small cut on her finger, and a small drop fell into the bowl.

"If Lakyus is what you truly seek, may the bowl of seeking reveal where she is…"

The drop of blood glowed in the bowl, and it spread to fill the entirety of the bowl.

"Now, all of you, touch the bowl. You'll get visions of her, if she lives." They all touched the bowl with a finger. And they all had a flash of images in their eyes, flickering through like a roll of film. They faintly saw an image of Lakyus in chains, and then it zoomed out. It changed into the image of a ruin. And then some images of a river, and some cities.

And then they saw Lakyus again, in chains. But this time the chains wrapped around her like a mummy. Then they saw an image of a huge demon, with two big squirrel-like front teeth, staring at them with glowing red eyes. The silhoutte of the demon seemed have a massive scythe at the back.

'HeLloOooo.." It spoke. They all felt genuine hostility and malice radiate from the demon, and it overwhelmed them.

All of them instinctively pulled their hands away from the bowl.

"What was that!" All of them looked like they were sweating, except for Evileye.

"It seems whoever we are looking for, knows we are looking for her." Evileye added.

"That, is way too scary." Tia said. Tina nodded.

"Could it be Kirineiram?" Gagaran pondered.

Evileye though, was eerily silent. She recognised the ruins. She's been there. "It's the ruins of one of the old forgotten gods. One built and destroyed long before the six gods came to this world."

"Is that an indication where it is?"

"The bowl is never that accurate. It suggests a proximity, though." The Oracle advised, adjusting the bowl slightly..

"Better than nothing." Tia added. "We should head there. We need to save her."

"Anyway, let's think through this."

Gagaran took up some silver and gold coins, and passed them to the oracle. "Thank you for your help." The Blue rose then left the room, and out into the city streets.

"Do you think we should head there?"

"It's a week's journey south, and then probably another week there to hike up those snow capped mountains. It's at the Slane Theocracy's border." Evileye added. "It's up in that chain of very tall mountains."

"I've heard of it, but I've never been there."

"It's really far."

"We should get our supplies ready. We may need help."

Evileye was worried about the kind of opponent they were facing. It seemed to her, the opponent is probably at least the level of the thirteen heroes, or higher. They needed to be very well armed, and ready for surprises. Their opponents could even set traps and split them up, just as how they captured Lakyus in the first place.

Tina was a bit happy though.

"At least we know she's alive."

"You know, that's a good question. Why is she alive?"

"HUH?"

"The person who could capture her is definitely stronger than Lakyus. So, why would she be alive? They must want something from her."

"Don't confuse me. We just need to save her." Gagaran added.

* * *

Kest Estree.

Raeven had not been to this small town, and as he surveyed the citizens, they all look slim. The children were lean, and so were the old. Though Kest Estree was spared by the granary fires, its' people have just about enough to eat, and no more.

It's quite different from the capital, where people are a lot more wasteful and exuberant.

A few streets later, they were outside the Devail manor.

"Lord Erik. It's a pleasure to meet you again."

Erik was flustered, he was unprepared for a meeting with Raeven at all. Not so soon after an earlier meeting with the chiefs.

"Ah.. yes. Please, have a seat. My good servant, could you please get some tea and light snacks for the Marquis?"

"Only the tea will do."

Erik was casually dressed, and if he walked on the street, a casual observer could not tell he is of the nobility. A far cry from the Raeven Erik remembered, in his fine clothing and armor.

"So…"

"I've arranged for some of my extra food stockpiles to be delivered to the north."

Quick. Raeven wasn't one to hesitate getting to the point if he sees merit in it.

"Oh, thank you. It would help us greatly. You must be the first noble to assist us."

"I've heard some fascinating rumors, and I'd like to hear more from the nobles themselves."

 _Rumours, huh._

"Oh. You mean about the intention to rebel by the northern cities?" There really was no point hiding it from Raeven. The fact that he is here, means he knows.

"Ah, yes. That one. Is there any truth to it?"

"Yes." He said it. He admitted he intends to rebel before one of the six great nobles.

The atmosphere got tense, and Erik's guards held their arms tightly. Raeven's retired adventurers too looked at the Marquis intensely, ready to reach for their weapons. It seemed like the room had transformed into a powderkeg, waiting for the flint to set off an explosion. Erik himself, reached for the knife hidden underneath the table. A drop of sweat rolled down his head.

All of the guards and adventurers mentally simulated how the fight would go.

The maid at the door quickly left the room, sensing danger.

They all were quiet.

The guards gulped.

So did the adventurers.

They stared at each other, waiting.

All it takes, is a for the signal to go. And swords and spears will fly.

Raeven looked at Erik, and Erik stared back. Erik was tense, rather visibly.

"Stand down." Marquis Raeven instructed.

Erik's grip of his weapon loosened a little.

"We're not here to arrest you." He looked at his adventurers, and said, "You guys stand down too."

And the adventurers relaxed their stance a little.

"Erik. Let's talk. Just the two of us. All of you, can you leave us?" Erik nodded at Raeven's suggestion, and instructed the guards to leave as well.

The room was empty, and the two nobles remain.

"Erik. I understand the pain the north feels. But rebelling isn't going to resolve this problem."

"The central nobles has oppressed us enough. We've given you our men for your silly wars, we've given you our produce and ores. And what do we get?"

"Erik. I understand the north has been neglected. But this is a pointless war. It just results in death, and we both want to avoid losing our people over silly matters. Food is a problem the noth faces, but I can help, and I will get the others to help."

They both stood, and Raeven walked to stand closer to Erik.

"We can work out some kind of alternative, instead of outright rebellion."

Erik looked at Raeven in the eye.

"What are you suggesting?"

"Partial autonomy. We won't demand your men or resources for 3 years. And the kingdom will send you enough food for the winter. And representation in the central committee, so the north gets a word in for national decisions."

Erik rubbed his chin. Those were good offers, and a peaceful resolution indeed. "The king and the nobles will agree to that?"

"Maybe. Maybe not. But it's better to try a peaceful solution, than going to war, no?"

"The north has the advantage, now. The country is occupied with the elves and the skeletal dragons. You won't be able to invade us, and won't be able to successfully crush us."

"The war against Necropolis won't last forever. Once that is over, the country will turn its sight on the north, and we'll have another bloody war again. You're just delaying the eventual crushing of the rebellion by a year or two."

Erik sighed. Raeven was correct in terms of the eventuality of it. The only way he could secure their future, is if the skeletal dragons were willing to protect them. But Erik didn't place much hopes on that.

"You have a point, Marquis. But this is not my decision to make. I'll have to pass your proposal to the rest of the chiefs. We will have to collectively decide."

"I understand, Erik. Let me know in a week. I"ll head back to my domain to ensure the food deliveries get sent on time."

"Thank you."

* * *

End

Notes : Thanks for reading and reviewing :)


	13. Chapter 11

Chapter 11.

The construction of the coliseum finally began. Ainz-sama and Wololo-sama both approved of their plans of carving a coliseum out of the caldera, and requested for inns and hotels to be added at the sides for some potential guests, perhaps humans. The supreme beings explained that in their current process of establishing a nation, they needed a testament to their might, a "wonder". So, it needed to be a kind of a venue for events that transcends nations, so accommodating people from all species and races is an important part of that project.

It's a massive engineering project, and Wololo summoned three Lvl 40 Dwarven Great Architect to assist the guardians in the management of the construction. Large number of golems were called from Nazarick to assist in the clearing of the necessary land, and construction of the areas. The construction of coliseum itself was broken up into a few parts, for each guardian to handle them independently.

Mare would be responsible for the landscaping and building the various terrain challenges for the horse race, and to have some variety in the battlefield options. Shalltear, with her taste for opulence, was tasked to oversee the design of the stands for the heteromorphs. Demiurge, on top of being the chief of the entire construction, devoted his personal talent for building to make furniture for the supreme being's viewing area and their rest quarters.

Sebas is made responsible for the human and elven stands and their accommodation. He too would work with the dwarven architects on the roads to be built towards the human lands. There needed to be rest stops along the way, for human visitors and tourists. And since Ainz-sama's project comprised mostly of Elves, there needed to be sufficient accommodation for them as well. The battle maids and others would be tasked

Cocytus is in charge of the armory, and the lizardmen quarters. He too would manage the stables and aviary. He would also train the lizardmen to form the security forces during the event, to prevent scuffles and maintain public order amongst the crowd. The coliseum can fit 100,000 men, so organisation and order of high importance. Proper order during the games was necessary.

The division of responsibilities though, had one item lacking.

Demiurge gathered all the guardians, and asked.

"Does anyone know where we can get entertainment?"

"Entertainment? Isn't the games the entertainment?" Mare asked.

"No… I mean like singers, performers. During off hours, we will need bars and taverns to keep the visitors delighted. We are running an event for the supreme beings. We must be top notch on all fronts."

"How about women?" Shalltear asked. "I can provide my vampire brides as… entertainment."

"Ah! Brothels! Yes, we need that too."

Sebas felt uncomfortable. Was that something the supreme beings approved of?

"Sebas, in your time at the capital, do you see the sort of entertainment humans frequently indulged in?"

"Alcohol. Perhaps illegal gambling. And women."

"Gambling…" Demiurge had a epiphany. "Do you think… the supreme beings would be open to betting? On the games."

Lida, then added. "I think Wololo would approve, as long as we're the ones making money out of it."

Sebas was not very convinced. "Surely the objective of this combat is for the participants to demonstrate their battle prowess..."

"Yes, but letting everyone have a stake in the team they support improves their engagement and attention to the battle."

Demiurge's response was a fascinating one, and Sebas pondered on in a while, before reluctantly agreeing with the devil.

"Good point. I'm fine with some gambling, but we should not let them be gambling excessively. Perhaps we can limit the bet size." Sebas added.

Demiurge looked at Sebas. Sebas probably expected a rebuke about him being controlling and dictating others financial choices, but Demiurge was more interested in other matters.

"Sebas, are you acquainted with any of these… gambling dens?"

"No, but wouldn't be too hard to find them."

"Can you capture some of these gambling den managers?"

"Oh… Wololo-sama has a mole in the underworld that manages this sort of seedy business in Re-Estize. I'll speak to him for some help."

"Great, hopefully that doesn't trouble Wololo-sama too much. Then let's talk about alcohol supplies. We currently have special alcohol made from the harvests of Nazarick, but if we are to host an event this large, we would need a whole lot more alcohol. And a whole lot more food."

"I. will. get. the. lizardmen. to. produce. more. food."

Demiurge nodded, though the lizardmen's food choices generally revolve around fish. He made a mental note to explore supplemental sources of meat and fruits, perhaps a more personal conversation with Mare later on.

Shalltear volunteered, eager to prove herself after her prior screwups. "I'll get the alcohol."

"From where? And you don't handle alcohol well."

Shalltear blushed, but was insisted on taking on the role anyway.

"No idea, but I'll figure it out."

"Very well. Perhaps the battle maids can assist you with it."

* * *

The King read the document a few times. He read it whilst Gazef was around, and asked Gazef to re-read the document, confirming their understanding of the demands. Recognition of the town as a sovereign nation on it's own is probably not too difficult to understand, but horses, and getting Gazef to participate in some games? That was strange. Then again, many countries, such as Baharuth, had asked for more absurd things.

Releasing of the demi-human slaves would be resisted by some nobles, but won't be hard for them to understand that they face the wrath of skeletal dragons if they fail to comply. The lands that Necropolis claimed were not officially under Re-Estize anyway, since they were fringe territories that the minor nobles ruled by proximity. So letting this Necropolis claim it wasn't exactly that bad.

Taking the demands as a whole, it isn't very taxing on the Kingdom.

So, to prevent further bloodshed, King Lamposa would accept the terms.

More importantly, would this 'Ainz Ooal Gown' hold up his end of the bargain, and follow through with the ceasefire?

Gazef though, convinced him that accepting the ceasefire is the logical outcome, as the opponent is so powerful that if they wanted to attack, what could stop them? So, even if it was a ruse, they lose nothing by following through with it.

So, that shifts the thoughts move towards internal forces in the Kingdom.

How would the nobles view the ceasefire proposal? Those on the royalist faction would probably lean towards ceasefire, since they gain nothing by going to war, whereas Lytton, Blumlash, Boullope and perhaps Raeven would resist the ceasefire, viewing it as an insult to their dignity.

Boullope, the King expected, would mount the fiercest criticism of the ceasefire, since he is knee-deep in this entire conflict. The only way the King could reasonably convince the nobles to accept the ceasefire, was if it was Raeven, Blumlash and Lytton agreed to the proposal, leaving Boullope alone. If none of them agreed, the ceasefire proposal will fail, and war will continue.

King Lamposa needed to give a convincing answer as to why was Gazef and Brain chosen to represent the enemy as well. Is Gazef somehow collaborating with the enemy? The nobility would surely strike at such a clause, claiming Gazef has betrayed Re-Estize, and this ceasefire offer is nothing more than Gazef sucking up to his new master.

The King sighed.

So many questions, and he pondered the possible outcomes for two nights, taking little short rests in between.

Gazef could only look on in sympathy, to the King that's now forced to either send Gazef into the pits of the noble's politics, or risk spurning Necropolis' ceasefire terms, and cause an escalation into all out war. Politics is a mess.

It didn't help the ceasefire case, that Prince Barbro came to make his case for why significant military forces needed to be gathered for a full scale invasion. Between the right decision for the country and King Lamposa's feeling as a father, Gazef could not imagine how torn and conflicted he must feel. Prince Barbro made a case, that the enemy that had skeletal dragons, and the Kingdom should not be allowed to have such monsters so near to their territories, and the citizens would live in fear. Prince Barbro didn't really believe or cared for the citizens, but when speaking to his father, he knew which strings to pull, and he would put up a front that he considers the people in his decisions.

To the prince, he had to get the full strength of Re-Estize's army, and overturn this failure. It was the only way he could save his fading chances to be the next king.

For the King Lamposa though, even after the two days of deep thought, he couldn't quite decide what was the best way to approach the ceasefire, whilst still protecting both Gazef, and Prince Barbro.

Deciding to leave it to the nobles, rather than to remain stuck in an endless loop of deliberation, he decided to summon the great nobles to discuss the ceasefire.

The meeting is held at the great war room of the palace, an old, almost historic room, where kings past has made many great and many terrible decisions, some of which has costed them large chunks of their kingdom. The fact that this meeting is going to be held in the war room, had special significance. It meant the King regarded the opponent as a country, and what they faced, was nothing less significant than war.

If anything, the King hoped the decisions of life and death that has been made in the room, reminds the noblemen to think carefully of their decision, that death of many may soon follow, from pride, and from ignorance.

The day of meeting came soon enough, 3 days after the summons was sent. Everyone was present, except Boullope himself. He is late, and it was very much unlike him to be late.

The king, wondering whether it was his good fortune, began anyway.

"Anyway, Boullope's not here. We will began anyway."

Count Lytton and Marquis Blumlash looked a little uncomfortable, but most of the nobles are already present to form the necessary quorum, and so there was no reason to delay it further.

"So… let us begin. We… are here to discuss the ceasefire proposal, that we received from Necropolis, as they call themselves."

But before King Lamposa could make his case further, Boullope arrived.

The guards yelled. "Announcing the arrival of Marquis Boullope."

In came a man clad in a dark enchanted armor, unlike the usual comfortable luxury clothes Boullope would wear for such an occasion. He looked a whole lot more imposing than he normally did, and with the enchanted armor, he radiated a fearsome aura, of a man ready for war.

Count Lytton, happy to see his comrade in the nobility faction, "Ah, our Marquis Boullope. Ready for war, eh?"

The Marquis didn't reply. His face stern and stoic, and a little tired.

"Ah, war is serious after all. Anyway, your majesty?"

King Lamposa mentally sighed, but smiled, pretending to be happy to see Marquis Boullope.

"Ah, you came just in time, Marquis Boullope. We now have in our hands, a cease fire proposal from the undead lich of Necropolis."

There was a strange silence in the room.

"Ah! The elves and the undead lich must fear us then. Well done, Marquis Boullope and Prince Barbro!" Marquis Blumlash grinned.

Count Lytton then added, "So, that's why Marquis Boullope is in armor. The Marquis will rush back and crush them with the regrouped forces. With a large army of adventurers hired to destroy the undead monsters, surely those skeletal dragons do not stand a chance."

"Let's hear the terms first." Marquis Raeven asked, the typical voice of reason.

The King sighed, "The terms as follows." The King laid out the parchment written on the table for the 6 nobles to look at it. Count Lytton and Marquis Blumlash laughed.

"These terms are preposterous. Who do they think they are, to demand us so?"

"I hear those two skeletal dragons are fearsome. They can crush the wall easily." Marquis Pespea said. "It seems even seasoned adventurers would have a tough time against them."

"Then why haven't they? The wall still remains. Prince Barbro's forces are bravely defending the border." Marquis Blumlash replied.

"Why would they honor the peace treaty?" Count Lytton added.

"Because we are the aggressor? They have not invaded us. It seems their acts so far, has been to rescue their enslaved brethren. That is reasonable as nations go." Marquis Urovona added.

"Are we seriously going to consider peace with them? Your Majesty, is this really your idea? I cannot imagine how the populace will accept their king accepting peace with some undead necromancer." Marquis Blumlash was fuming. "Those are valuable lands, and the nobles nearby depend on them."

"We are not in the position to fight a long war against them. Not with those massive dragons." The King replied, and looked over to Marquis Boullope's somewhat pale face. "Marquis Boullope… what do you think of our chances of victory?"

Count Lytton and Marquis Blumlash replied. "100 percent. The fact that they are offering a peace treaty means they are weak!"

Marquis Raeven tried to calm the meeting, "Perhaps Marquis Boullope can answer first."

Everyone looked over to Boullope.

But he didn't react.

It was unlike the usual, firey Boullope. It was as if he transformed into a calm but angry sea. Quiet, but frightening.

The King expected a stern objection to peace, and wondered what would Boullope say. And how would he convince Boullope to swallow his pride and accept the ceasefire proposal.

He raised his hand on the table, stared at the other nobles and kings, and then said.

"We should…"

Everyone waited.

…

…

...

"Accept the ceasefire."

"HUH?!"

…

...

Everyone was shocked.

The King could not believe his ears. Did the warmonger just say they should accept the terms of this city of Necropolis?

Count Lytton and Marquis Blumlash looked over, and Marquis Blumlash grabbed Boullope's armor. "Accept the ceasefire?! Marquis Boullope, what has gotten into you!"

Boullope looked at Blumlash, his eyes distant.

"An undead god."

Everyone was silent. Boullope's eyes were those that seen some terror.

"Death to all that oppose him. We must not stand in the way of the gods."

* * *

 _A few days ago..._

The adventurers, some 30 of them were gathered in the room booked by Marquis Boullope. It was meant to be a briefing, for the Marquis to explain their circumstances, and the opponent that they faced. There were 3 teams of Orihalcum ranked adventurers, so it was quite a respectable force.

The room was noisy, everyone was talking about how this is a windfall. And how the Blue Rose or Red Drop surprisingly did not take up such a generous job, and so now the spoils go to them.

"Everyone. Silence. The Marquis will start the briefing now." There was no actual adventurer's guild in this small town, so the mayor was usually the representative and coordinator.

"We face two skeletal dragons. They are more resistant to fire than the normal skeletal dragons, seem to have far higher physical abilities. So, any suggestions?"

One of the orihalcum ranked adventurer then suggested, "Did holy magic work in your prior encounter?"

"We had no priests with us at the time. We were expecting low level undead that could be managed by conventional troops." A captain in Boullope's army replied. "So we have no idea how effective holy magic would work. What we do know, is throwing heavy rocks at them still hurt them quite a bit, but they had high regeneration so we couldn't land a decisive kill."

The captain was probably ashamed to say the rocks hurt them a little, and they were no where near killing them.

"Ah…"

"So holy magic should still work then."

"Probably. But best we have a few alternatives."

"We are facing two of them, you say? No other creatures?"

"Wraiths."

"That's not too difficult to handle." One confident Orihalcum ranked adventurer responded.

"The troops will support from afar, or if we face any elven forces, we will engage them. The adventurers' force will be tasked with the skeletal dragons and wraiths. Count Lytton and Marquis Blumlash has sent over heavy artillery and bowmen to assist with the support, so it'll be a purely professional army this time."

The adventurers were in positive spirits. With 30 of them, they could take on the dragons, they felt. It's a challenge, but they have a chance to win.

"So, once the dragon is slain, and the army marches onto Necropolis, we will reward everyone with 300 gold coins."

That's quite a fortune for many adventurers. But of course, they have to slay the dragon, and survive to collect it.

"No deposit?"

"No. Only on victory."

There was some idle chatter as some of them wondered what they would do with that much money.

Their further discussion though, was suddenly interrupted. The room, suddenly got dark. And a dark shadow emerged from the floor.

And within seconds the shadows covered the entire room.

The doors were suddenly locked shut, the windows closed. It's the typical beginnings of any horror movie. It was as if everyone was transported into a haunted house.

From the shadows two imposing figures emerged, one an imposing elder lich in luxurious robes, the other a beautiful horned lady, with wings from her back.

However, there was no time to admire the beauty of the lady. Everyone instinctively tried to draw their weapons, sensing the danger that came visiting, but Ainz's Despair Aura activated, quickly crushed them as it spreads out like a shockwave and they all collapsed to the floor. They were unable to move, and felt their life force and energy being drained away.

"Oh, what a surprise, Marquis Boullope. Did I catch you at a bad time?"

The room was eerily quiet. No one responded to Ainz.

Marquis, the only one spared from the crushing Despair Aura, shivered. He seemed to have mustered all his willpower, before he could reply.

"Uh… who are you?"

"Ah yes, we've never met, my bad. My name is Ainz Ooal Gown, of the Necropolis and Nazarick. And I'm here to kill you."

He had heard of the name before, during Gazef's previous briefings. He had previously dismissed Gazef's praises as the delusions of a man grateful to be saved from death. But now, he instantly felt regret for not listening to him more attentively when he spoke of Ainz Ooal Gown.

The Marquis's face turned pale instantly. He sensed the overwhelming power that emanated from Ainz's body, and he stared at Ainz's glowing eyes and shivered even more. His aura seemed to take physical form reaching out and pressing on each and every one of them like tentacles, pushing them all to the ground with immense strength.

"Uh… I'm… I'm the Marquis. One of the six great nobles of the Kingdom. And you cannot.. You cannot kill me." Boullope could barely speak, he felt his spirit waver in his presence.

Ainz stepped closer and grabbed his neck easily. Boullope struggled, trying to free himself but unable to shake Ainz's incredibly strong grip.

"Whether you live or you die, is for me to decide."

Ainz's eyes seemed to glow before him, and Boullope shivered.

The Marquis felt his life flashed before his eyes. All those wars, all those political struggles, seem meaningless and petty before the power that now was before him. It was not adrenaline from battle. It is outright fear. Fear.

"There is no revival for you, if I kill you."

Drops of liquid flowed out of his pants. In fear, the Marquis peed in his pants. Ainz lifted the Marquis easily and tightened his grip a little, not enough to kill him, but enough to send primal fear into the core of his being.

He flailed.

"Please…. Spare me…Let me live... I beg you. Anything you want. Anything!"

"Should I?" Ainz grinned. It looked to Marquis as if the grim reaper smiled at him, and the noble's face became almost white. Death felt so close.

The Marquis's flailing hands stopped, as Ainz tightened his grip a little, squeezing the chainmail around the noble's chest lightly. The Marquis felt his breathing become difficult, and he panted.

Ainz turned to look at the other adventurers, all collapsed on the floor. They were still conscious, but their body drained of all their strength to move. The orihalcum ranked adventurers fared slightly better, and they were trying to stand. But still, they had no strength to wield any weapons.

"If I kill you before these adventurers, do you think they'll get their money?" Ainz asked, turning to face the pale Boullope.

"No…." The Marquis struggled. "Please don't kill me..."

"Call off your invasion and I'll let you live. Raise a single sword against me and Necropolis, and I'll come back and get you." He then allowed the full strength of Despair Aura to affect the Marquis.

Ainz let go of his grip, and dropped the Marquis. And at that very moment, Ainz appeared like some 100 foot tall titan, and he stared down on him.

He felt tiny. So tiny. So, so tiny.

And he couldn't react to Ainz's offer.

"Ainz-sama's offer of mercy won't last forever, human." Albedo seemed like the angel of death, the beauty that accompanied death as his goes about claiming the souls of the living. Never in Boullope's life did he feel so much fear for a beautiful lady. But her voice snapped him out of his shock and stunned silence.

The Marquis kneeled, his forehead on the ground. "Yes. Yes. I'll call it off! Thank you! Thank you!" Pride and arrogance had vanished, all because of his near-death experience.

"And give me 100 of your best horses and 1,000 of your best weapons. And all your slaves."

"Yes. Yes. Anything you say my good lord." Marquis Boullope said, still kneeling. Ainz's overwhelming Despair Aura still placed an immense pressure on him. The Marquis felt as if he had met the grim reaper himself, and was awed into absolute submission. "Anything else, my lord?"

Albedo laughed loudly. This was quite fitting for her master. "Before the leader of the Supreme Beings, Ainz-sama, all you nobles and adventurers are just ants. It is best you stupid humans remember that." Surely humans should always kneel before her master. She wondered why Ainz didn't intimidate Gazef earlier, but perhaps that was because Ainz-sama considered Gazef a friend.

"Yes. Yes. Thank you for your mercy, oh great Ainz Ooal Gown."

"Remember what you said, Marquis Boullope, and fulfill your end of the bargain. I am always just a teleport away." Ainz smiled, but to Boullope, it was the smile of the devil himself.

Ainz and Albedo vanished into the dark shadows, and the overwhelming pressure in the room vanished. The locked doors and the dark windows somehow restored to their original state.

It was almost as if they were never here.

Yet, their vanishing brought only a slight relief. The Marquis Boullope remained kneeling. Somehow, he cried. Perhaps it was long suppressed emotions, of frustration, of fear, of awe, of joy to have lived another day.

The adventurers felt their strength gradually return to them, but all of them had changed that day.

"Get out...all of you. Leave!" Boullope ordered, still kneeling.

The adventurers all left, as fast as they could, as fast as their bodies would let them. They knew they were lucky to be spared, and they now met the great evil, the one not to be messed with. They looked at the kneeling Boullope, frozen in place and his pants, wet in a bit of his own pee, and were thankful that they did not become the focus of that Ainz Ooal Gown's power.

Boullope was still kneeling, unmoved.

But inside, he knew what he saw. Death himself paid him a visit.

* * *

END

Notes : Thanks for reading!

I've actually haven't figured out a role for Lida. Was too happy to start writing... XD

Wololo hasn't had much screentime, cause I'm trying to finish this little story arc for Ainz and Necropolis. We'll move onto Wololo and the Blue Roses soon! (and what happens with Erik)

Questions for readers :

Would it be a cop out if I introduced a 3rd player, but not from the guild?

How'd you take it if I did a x-over an brought in some characters from other games/mangas?

How'd you take it if I tweaked the rules on WCI a little?


	14. Interlude 2 - Maids, adventurers N bars

[Short intermission]

It still surprises him how luxuriously decorated the 9th and 10th floor is, every time he comes here, he finds himself repeating how gloriously beautiful it is. Those details on the statues, it almost seemed like they are alive. Some statues seemed fit in an old museum, made of white marble and carved to mimic old roman gods. The design of Nazarick's 9th and 10th floors were so opulent, that they could rival the best of the classical era castles and palaces.

Maybe some members of the guild saw themselves that way, as gods of this little dungeon, as the masters of their little corner in Yggdrasil. So they crafted a realm befitting that imagined greatness.

"Wololo-sama, welcome back to Nazarick." The devil bowed at one of his many masters, now in the form of a Leonin, or a humanoid-lion. As a shapeshift, Wololo's many forms has often confused all the other NPCs, but the players are able to see his name hovering above him, so would often laugh at his choice of animals for the day.

Some days, he wanted some courage in himself, and so he picks an animal that represented that spirit.

"Ah, Demiurge. How's the construction going?"

"We've finished removing what we didn't need from the place, and started with the building the foundations. The guardians are still sourcing for various materials and services, though." Demiurge explained, walking together with him.

"We knew letting you take charge of the construction was a good idea. Momonga-san said you are really smart and capable!"

Demiurge seemed to blush, almost. He then gave a very very deep bow.

"I really do not deserve such high praise, Wololo-sama."

Wololo grinned, "Oh you're too modest, Demiurge. I'm headed to my room now."

"Ah… I shall not disturb you further, Wololo-sama."

"Have fun with the construction."

"Yes."

It does still feel unusual and strange, especially when looking at them so close. For Wololo, these were the NPCs that they spent so much time crafting and arguing over their details. He recalled how some of them were flat out obsessed with the design and characterisation, and the arguments would get really, really heated. Demiurge's suit and characterisation too was up to a whole lot of arguments.

And Momonga-san as guildmaster would always have to step in to calm the heads. Occasionally that involved a lot of listening to both sides, and that took up alot of their guild leader's time. Many of them believed the guild would crumble without someone with Momonga's qualities to smoothen out the edges to everyone's personality.

To see the NPCs come to life, like really come to life. What the other players would've given to see this.

Perhaps some of them will probably do lewd things to the maids. Maybe he would too. Wait. He could!

"Oh what am I thinking." Wololo muttered to himself.

One of the forty two maids appeared, and bowed at Wololo. She had blonde hair, and a beautiful face. Her maid costume is beautifully crafted, with laces everywhere. The skirt is short, but lacy, and reveals their gorgeously slim legs and beautiful lacy stockings. _Have the maids always been this cute?_

"Oh what am I thinking again." Wololo smacked himself a little, telling him to snap out of it.

The maid the greeted with a sweet youthful voice. "Good afternoon, Wololo-sama. How may I serve you today?"

 _Oh so cute. Damn._

 _What is this!_

Wololo glanced at the cutely dressed maid, and wondered what to do next.

"Oh." Wololo paused, struggling to think something proper. "Maybe a drink would be nice."

"Yes, Wololo-sama. A cocktail perhaps?" The maid made a cute gesture, as if thinking of a drink to offer her master. _Was the maids all configured to behave this cute? Must've been the work of that guy…_

"Ah yes. A cocktail… maybe a simple gin and tonic will do." She nodded in concurrence.

"Yosh!" The maid then quickly sped off towards the bar.

Wololo then went towards the main throne room. There, one of the battle maids, was standing guard.

"Yuri."

"Wololo-sama, welcome back to Nazarick." The battle maid bowed slightly.

"Is Ainz-san around?"

"Ah, yes. Ainz-sama and Albedo is in the meeting room having a discussion."

"Why are you here, anyway?"

"This is my station, Wololo-sama."

"Ah yes…"

It was then the maid from earlier burst through the door, and walked over swiftly, with a glass of gin and tonic on a tray.

"Wololo-sama, sorry for the wait. Here's your gin and tonic."

"Ah, don't worry about it." Wololo picked up the cocktail with one hand, and with the other hand, tapped the maid on the hand. "Well done." And he took a sip from his drink.

Wololo smiled.

"Now, I'm going to go find Ainz-san..." He then returned his glass to the tray and tapped the maid on her head.

The maid looked really happy to serve their master.

* * *

"Do you think we should train our own adventurers?" Ainz suggested.

"Why do we need these adventurers, Ainz-sama? These human adventurers are weak when compared to the forces of Nazarick. Surely the guardians are more than enough? Even the lizardmen would prove more useful."

Ainz mentally sighed. Maybe it was his own personal dreams, to lead a team of adventurers into the unknown. Or maybe it's more of him missing the days when he went out on long adventures with the rest of his guildmates.

 _Ah those were the days. Maybe I should ask Wololo whether he is free for a little adventure. We could both go on a small quest, and leave this whole administration and city thing for a while._

That was partly why he became Momon in the first place… To satisfy some inner desire to go on an adventure.

 _What am I thinking! I'm the leader of the guild and this city, I should act like one._

"An adventurers' guild would be something every respectable city has, and surely Necropolis, if it aspires to be a great city, should have a great adventurers guild!"

"Yes, but Ainz-sama's city surely doesn't have to follow the ideas of the rest of these humans. After all the adventurers in this world are just monster hunters."

Eeek. That's a brutally true assessment.

"Then we must design a different kind of adventurers guild! One that actually does adventuring! That would bring glory to Necropolis and Nazarick!"

"Yes Ainz-sama. If it is what you truly desire."

* * *

"Wololo-san. "

"Ah Ainz-san. Want to have a drink?" Wololo handed Ainz a cup, filled with some kind of cocktail.

"This reminds me of my salaryman days. But I can't enjoy the drink. I'm undead."

Wololo looked a little disappointed. "Oh…"

"No worries, a bar is a nice place to chat." The 9th floor bar manned by the sous-chef is beautifully decorated and cozy. Something the supreme beings previously never got to enjoy as it wasn't actually functional in Yggdrasil. But here, its a lovely, rather lively spot for the NPCs to relax.

"Do you like leading, Ainz-san?" An unusually honest question, perhaps Wololo was a little bit intoxicated.

"Not much, but I think I can do it."

"Haha. I believe I'm the type that uses fear to lead. Not very inspiring, compared to someone like yourself."

"I'm hardly inspirational."

"The guardians surely don't think so. Our former guildmates surely don't think so. Everyone felt you were a great guild leader."

Ainz mentally blushed, feeling a little embarrassed and wanted to change the subject. "But do you need fear to command Aura? She's may be loud and noisy, but I think she would gladly follow your will."

Wololo rubbed and played with his mane.

"True… Aura's been a great help. Maybe I'm not that bad. How's your city coming along?"

"It's growing pretty well. About 3,000 elves now. But military might is still weak and depends on my skeletal dragons."

"Have you tried giving anyone the [Book of Learning]?"

"Hmmm… I totally forgot about that item. Those were from our beginner days…"

"I haven't either. I don't even have a city built yet."

Ainz laughed and tapped the wolf on his shoulder. "It's a friendly competition! You must have something up your sleeves."

"I do have a nice valley and tower though. Maybe I will convert it into a city later… I wonder whether I should have humans or some other race..."

"Oh? Humans can be a little difficult to handle given we are heteromorphic beings after all. They do seem easily intimidated by our presence! Even elves seem afraid!"

"Ainz-san! You are an undead overlord. Of course they are afraid of you!"

"Ah yes that's true. I forget that sometimes, especially when I'm around the guardians too much. Perhaps I should learn some of your shapeshifting magic. I'm sure squirrels are a lot more likeable."

Wololo chuckled.

"Haha, I'd think they still freak out at an undead squirrel though."

"You know, I rarely see undead animals."

"Now that you mention it..."

They both shared another laugh, and Wololo drank another sip.

There was a short, shared silence.

"Its surreal, huh." Wololo spoke, and twirled his cup around.

Both supreme beings smiled.

"Yeah. Both of us in this new world."

"Our comrades would have loved it here."

Their guildmates, after toiling for so many hours in designing Nazarick and also it's NPCs. _To see them walk. To see them live. It would be like seeing their children grow up._

"Indeed." Ainz remembered the fun times they've been through together. "Though we probably end up fighting." Ainz recalled the plentiful conflicts and arguments they had in the past. Some got really heated.

"You always end up being able to resolve it though. Our great guildmaster!"

Ainz waved his hand, "I'm not the only one managing the conflict. The others helped too."

Wololo placed his head on the counter, slightly drowsy from the drinks. "Is that so?"

"It's really, really surreal. I still wonder whether this is a dream every day."

Ainz placed his hand on Wololo's shoulder. Perhaps it was a touch of empathy.

"It's surreal. But very real."

* * *

Author's note : The next chapter's really hard to finish urgh (I'm halfway through, and I hope to post it up over the next week or so). So here's a small intermission I wrote earlier. Thanks for the ideas btw. :) I think the reason I really liked overlord was the whole "power trip" thing. It's cool to see someone stomp through enemies. But it's really quite hard move from something you imagine is cool, into actual writing.


	15. Chapter 12

And after days of travelling in the cold, snowy, and hostile Southern Mountains, finally seeing and arriving at the the valley of the old gods' ruins came as a much needed pleasant surprise.

It was as if all the snow vanished, and what replaced it is this verdant paradise valley, and in middle of this mountain valley, there is a huge tower that touched the clouds. The biting cold too, somehow vanished, and there was a gentle warmth that emanated from the valley, that made them feel warm and fuzzy inside. Even the breeze felt alive, and smells of leaves and flowers that reminded them of spring.

"So… warm." Tia of the Blue Roses, spoke admiringly of the valley.

It's an entirely different from the snow and ice before, and it's an odd sight. How could all that ice and snow dissipate away to this warm, pleasing little piece of paradise.

"Eh… It wasn't like this... many, many years ago." Evileye commented in another surprise for the rest.

 _Huh?!_ The entire team reacted together.

"It's as cold and as snowy as the mountains that we saw before this. Well, at least it was that way. Those ruins… were all partially covered in snow."

They gazed at the radically changed place, now a verdant valley, and what was formerly old ruins are now covered in overgrown vines and bushes. It seems that some of the ruins has been restored as well. If what she said was true, how did such change happen so quickly?

"When's the last time you came here?"

"Many many years ago. I can't even remember how many years." Evileye honestly did not remember when did she come here, other than the fact that she did. "Maybe it's my memory then."

"We've not heard of this place…"

"No one has any reason to come here. Except whoever that kidnapped our evil boss, it seems."

Lakyus's name reminded them, that they were not here for a holiday. They mentally braced themselves for combat, remembering that they were caught unprepared when Lakyus vanished suddenly. Whatever or whoever that kidnapped her, they expect, will have some defenders prepared as well. So they moved carefully towards the tall structure that now overlooks the entire valley, sensing subtle but strange energies coming out of it.

And it didn't take long for the defenders to appear.

From the bushes, two massive furry rabbits appeared. Though they are large and somewhat chubby, so can be considered quite cute to look at, they clearly are not to be messed with.

*Swipe*

The swipe came, as they expected, and the twin assassins blocked it.

Then a large owl appeared, and launched an array of high speed swipes with its two long claws. And Gagaran intercepted, and parries the attacking owl.

[Fireball] A large ball of flames emerge and flies like a missile towards the owl.

The owl though, flicked it's wings, and diverted the fireball to another side, where it exploded without harming anyone.

"Wow I've not seen a giant owl do that!"

Tia and Tina closed it on the owl, but before it could stab the owl, one of the earlier rabbits managed to land a kick on Tina from the side, and pushed the two assassins away.

"And we've not seen rabbits attack that way."

The rabbits jumped and started kicking at high speeds with their incredibly strong hind legs, and Gagaran used her massive warpick to block. She then swung her warpick, and it landed on the rabbit's body, and she heard some bones crack.

The massive rabbit let out a roar of pain.

The Blue Rose, is merely surprised at facing a new foe. But in terms of strength, they still had a significant lead.

Gagaran closed in to finish the rabbit off, but the other rabbit leaped in to defend, launching more kicks, forcing Gagaran to block whilst the other rabbit recovered. Tia and Tina brought out larger knives from their arsenal, better suited to fighting rabid beasts.

Outnumbered, the two rabbit suffered a few cuts and gradually lost its strength. They attempted to flee, but Gagaran managed to land a decisive hit on the rabbit's head and killed one instantly. And the other rabbit then collapsed, weakened by the assassins' poisoned blades, and it too died soon after.

Evileye on the other hand was preoccupied with the owl. The owl tried to swipe Evileye with its two claws, but she kept dodging, and eventually found an opening to stab it in the heart with a knife.

And the owl fell on the floor, like a puppet with its strings cuts.

"Large animals giving us a good fight. We're severely out of practice." Gagaran joked.

"I don't think they qualify as animals."

Tia laughed, and proceeded to cut the owl's claws.

"I"ve not seen this kind of owl before. If this was a regular adventure I'd spent some time to skin the three animals, probably sell for quite some money."

"Let''s move before more of them come."

"You're right, though." Tia winked.

The group of four moved quickly, following a rough path towards the tall building in the valley, figuring that most villains will probably be at the top of that tall tower.

* * *

"Wololo-sama. Our guests are here." Aura magically pointed at a mirror that displayed the approaching Blue Rose. Throughout the valley, there were various items known as the "Eye of the Magi", that forms a kind of surveillance network, and is linked to the [Mirror of the Magi] in the tower's main hall.

The mirror shows the four Blue Rose folk running and jumping across obstacles, dodging the fury rabbits and great dire owls along the way.

"Ah… I see they are more than a match for the natural critters. Are our defenses ready?" Wololo sat on a massive wooden throne, made of living wood. The throne itself was connected to a large multi-story high tree behind it.

"The defenders are ready.. Should I activate them now?"

"Good. But let's wait them to enter the labyrinth first."

"Alright! Will set a warning to pop up once they pass one of those doors." Aura spoke cheerfully, eager to put some of her monsters to the test.

The entire tower has been set that all external doors lead to the labyrinth. All windows as well. The trap has been set, and it was up to the Blue Rose to fall for it.

It took a lot of work to construct the labyrinth, if it was built via conventional means. But Wololo-sama had at his disposal, a massive army of golems and dwarven workers. So it took about a week for the labyrinth and the entire tower to be reconstructed.

"Wouldn't be long now." Aura smiled.

"Let's go check on our other guest."

* * *

They didn't understand it. They passed the door, and suddenly they were somewhere else. Somewhere deep underground.

"That door activated some kind of magic that was enchanted into it."

"I've not seen that sort of magic."

"Well, Lakyus magically disappeared too, so I suppose this is a similar thing." Tina made an unusually clever association, which the others nodded in agreement.

Evileye touched her weapon, ready to jump at whatever that may come. They were in enemy territory now, and whoever captured Lakyus probably had expected them to come.

They looked around, and noticed they were in some kind of enclosure, with only one exit. Tia and Tina cautiously approached a sign that was next to the exit, armed with their best weapons and ready to cast defensive magic.

Then a magical spirit sprite appeared.

[Fireball]

And Evileye swiftly reacted by blasting a fireball at it, which passed through the sprite and exploded on the labyrinth walls. The labyrinth was undamaged, though.

"Fear not, visiting adventurers! I mean you no harm. I am merely here to explain the game." The sprite spoke, while glowing in various colors at irregular intervals. The sprite looked like tiny little fairies, or perhaps a little bit like Tinkerbel from Peter Pan, except she wasn't gold in color.

"Game?"

"Yes. My name is Sprita. This is the Maze of Doors." The sprite conjured up a floating image of an empty room with three doors.

"Every room you step into, will have a few doors. Outside each and every one of them, will be a symbol. Open each door, and step through them to go through another door, and you will then face the outcome of your choices." The doors glowed red each time Sprita spoke of the word, 'door.'

"Huh."

"Some rooms will have enemies for you to fight. Some rooms lead you back to where you started. Some rooms will heal you. And eventually, one of those doors, will lead you to the main tower. Some doors… lead you to death."

Evileye looked at Sprita, keenly observing the image that she conjured.

Gagaran though, was more interested in saving their evil boss, so she asked, "How do I get to my friend? Have you seen her?"

"Oh." Sprita looked at her and seemed to think for a while. "I believe your friend, is with the master. Get to the main tower, and you will be one step closer to the master."

"Is the door arrangement fixed?"

"I do not know for sure, but should be…" Sprita answered.

"So outside is the first room?"

"Yes."

"Any other rules? Can we go backwards?"

"No, you are not able to go backwards. But from each and every one of room, there is a certain order of doors selected, that will eventually lead you to the main tower. There are no dead ends. Some routes are harder than others."

"Are all the doors visible to us?" Evileye smiled at Tia's sharp question. She didn't think of it herself.

"Maybe."

"What's the point of this?" Gagaran wasn't really keen on games. "Why is my friend being captured? Is she alive?"

"It amuses the master. I don't know, but I think your friend is alive."

The four girls suddenly felt they are now in some sadistic game. But they have no way out as Evileye's teleport can't seem to get past the walls. So they had to play it.

"Are you coming with us?"

"No. I'm afraid that's all I can tell you." And Sprita vanished into dozens of tiny little floating lights that eventually faded away. It looked like a mini explosion of fireworks.

The four looked at each other, and all breathed a sigh. "What have we gotten ourselves into."

"More like, what did Lakyus get us into."

"Now now, let's move on." Gagaran tried to defuse the tension.

They stepped into the room, fully armed and ready for combat.

"Oh… nothing here."

And the first room was absolutely empty. It had white walls on all four sides, and facing them were three wooden doors. On those three wooden doors, there was a symbol. The one on the left had a symbol resembling a sun, the one in the middle had a symbol representing a moon, and the last door on the right had a symbol representing a star.

"Sun, moon and stars."

"Do you think this is a puzzle of some sort?"

"Should we split up?"

"No. That lady said there's probably enemies. If so, it's best we fight them together."

"True, if they are stronger than the rabbits and the owls, we'd have a way better chance facing them together."

Gagaran cracked her knuckles, eager to go. "Let's go with the sun."

"Fine with me."

They opened the sun door, and what was before them was a water-like substance, almost a mirror. It revealed nothing of the path beyond, and they had no choice but to go through it anyway.

The Sun Room, is a larger chamber than the previous room, with still white walls, and 3 doors in the distance. It's significantly taller too, with the ceiling being easily 10-15 meters high. In the middle, stood their foe, a fire elemental, it's flames flickering.

They felt the heat it emanated, even though they were at least 70 meters away.

"So this is one of those 'battle' rooms."

The fire elemental saw them, and raised its arms as if to signal them to come at him.

Tia and Tina sheathed their knives and daggers, and brought out specially made bombs, that contains stored water element magic. Gagaran casted a few buffs on herself and her teammates, and Evileye went ahead with a few spells.

[Crystal Lance] A crystalline lance materialised next to Evileye whilst she was charging at the fire elemental, and then shot ahead like a missile leaving a speeding fighter jet, flying quickly towards the elemental.

The fire elemental dodged the lance, but that was merely the setup, as Evileye flew above the elemental and casted [Stone Wall]. Two walls of stone appeared from the floor and attempted to crush the fire elemental. The fire elemental pushed at the walls with it's two hands, and the heat from its hands caused the stone wall to glow.

The force of [wall of stone] overpowered the fire elemental's arms and crushed the fire elemental.

Yet the two collapsed wall of stone kept glowing, and in exploded, revealing a weakened fire elemental. It's fires are dimmer, suggesting it took some damage. Tia and Tina though, predicted the elemental's survival and thrown two balls at the wall, causing a burst of water from the small balls, that exploded like a pressurised burst pipe.

The burst hit the elemental at point blank and this time, the fire elemental's flames were extinguished, and it vanished.

"That was easy."

They could then hear the 3 doors at the other side of the room unlock.

"Battle rooms, huh." Gagaran grinned. "Sounds fun."

Little did they know, it was just warm-up.

* * *

Lakyus woke up in an unusual place. She was in a bedroom, and it was surprisingly well lit. It's almost like a quaint little village inn. There were sounds of chirping birds and insects in the distance.

It's strangely calming.

"I'm… alive."

She looked at her two hands, and they were perfectly unhurt. Last she recalls, she was still encased in some kind of crystal prison, fighting some crazy squirrel. What sort of bad dream was that!

"Of course you are." A voice came from the side.

Lakyus turned, and saw a squirrel on top of a chair. It was that squirrel again!

"You!" She tried to jump out of the bed and attack the squirrel but somehow all her strength vanished. So she was still on the bed.

"You shouldn't be moving."

She felt an intense burning sensation spread through her body.

"What.. what do you want." Lakyus asked, but her voice was weak. The burning feeling made her feel feverish, and her thoughts a little muddled.

The squirrel seemed quiet.

"Is this… revenge?"

"Nah. I'm not that petty."

The squirrel jumped around the house.

"Rest." Wololo spoke, subtly activating [sleep].

And Lakyus fell back into her bed, drained of all her strength and fell into sleep.

* * *

The 3 rooms had 3 different logos on them, one of them was a symbol of an arrow pointing "UP", and one of them was the symbol of a "DOWN". The last door had the symbol of a circle, perhaps suggestion remain.

"Which one should we take?"

"Up."

"Why?"

"We're underground, surely we want to go up."

"What if Lakyus is underground?"

"Oh come on! I don't think so."

"I think these symbols are just here to mislead us."

"Well, we still have to make a choice."

"Anyway, I say we pick UP."

"Fine. Up it is."

The door with up leads them to a small room, with three other doors. And in the middle of the room was a small blue crystal, floating in midair.

Then a small fairy appeared, similar to the fairy before.

"Welcome to the room of healing."

And a [full heal] was cast on all of them, restoring them all to their full strength. Somehow, the magic restored Evileye as well, and so she secretly wonders what sort of magic it uses. It was much needed healing though, as Lakyus was the healer/priest of the team, and without her, they had to rely on an odd mix of potions

"This really is a game, isn't it?" Tina quipped, comparing it to some kind of checkpoint.

They examined the 3 doors that is now before them, each door in a different color, red, yellow and green.

"Uhm… any ideas?"

"Yellow. Lakyus's hair is blonde, so yellow."

"Really, that's how we're making decisions around here..."

"It's not as if there's any consistent rule to this game."

They tapped the yellow door, and all of them were sucked through the door and appeared in a vast room that simulated a desert environment, where the floor is made of sand and cracked earth, and the air is hot and dry.

And a massive cactus stood in the middle of the room, about 6 stories tall. It's so tall, that it looked like it was going to hit the artificially illuminated ceiling. On top of it was a large red flower.

"We're fighting a cactus?" Gagaran asked, probably half-serious.

The cactus fired out a wave of needles at all directions.

Evileye reacted by summoned up a stone wall in front of them, and it seems Gagaran's hunch was right after all. The needles exploded, damaging the stone wall, but the Blue Rose was unhurt.

"Seems like we are."

Evileye sent out [Fireball] towards the Cactus, but another wave of needles went out, and when the needles touched the fireball, it exploded midair. The cactus, remains undamaged.

"Huh."

Another wave of needles were fired at all directions. This time, the petite vampire was more than ready, and blocked with the stone wall again.

"Are there any doors on the other side?" Evileye asked. "That cactus looks like a passive tree that releases some kind of attack periodically."

Tia and Tina tried to use their special skills to survey the other direction while Evileye's stone wall protected them from the periodic wave of needles being fired by the massive cactus.

"It fires a wave of explosive pins every 15 seconds." Evileye suggested. "So we should be able to time the waves?"

"Can't we just chop off the cactus? This timing the attacks thing is really troublesome."

Evileye conjured up a crystal lance and fired it towards the cactus, and it somehow shattered right before it hit the cactus. Evileye briefly saw a massive needle appeared before the cactus that made contact with the crystal lance.

"Protective magic around the cactus itself it seems. Or some kind of nasty self defense system"

"There's 3 doors on the other side." Tia commented.

Another wave of cactus needles went out, and the stone wall remained.

"I'm so tempted to hack it down." Gagaran ranted.

"That's assuming if you can get near it." Another wave of pins flew out.

On top of the massive cactus was a large red flower, and it started to glow.

"That flower is doing something. And let's get out of here it comes." They prepared themselves to react to the flower, and all of them casted some protective magic on themselves.

Another wave of pins flew out, and they were blocked by the wall.

Then the flower stopped glowing, and it released a cloud of pollen.

"What is that."

"I don't want to know. Let's run for the door."

Evileye created a wall of stone all the way to the doors, and the Blue Rose fled, whilst the pollen still floated up in the air, falling really slowly.

The wave of needles kept coming, whilst Evileye created a protective sphere-like wall of rock around them and the nearest door. On the door was the mark of a small crescent.

Regardless, there wasn't much time to choose which door, with the flower's strange pollen falling. They opened the door anyway, and it sucked all them of through.

* * *

Lakyus looked at her plain long white dress, and wondered how they got her size and cut just right. It's long enough to reach her knee, yet allowed her to walk rather freely. The texture of the cloth was quite pleasant too, and it seemed like high quality cotton. When she twirled her body, the dress followed smoothly, and she couldn't resist a girly smile.

She looked at the tomboy-ish dark elf that brought her the dress.

"Wololo-sama offers these clothes as a replacement for your armor and weapons."

"Oh…" Lakyus nodded. She just noticed the dark elf's dual-colored eyes, wondering where had she seen that before. It's a rare quirk, not something she forgets.

There was 3 more sets of the same dress on the small wooden cabinet at the side, and two simple shoes. She slipped her feet into one pair of shoes, and looked at the dark elf again. She wasn't too sure whether she was looking at a boy or a girl.

"I'm Aura, and I am a humble servant of the great supreme being and master creator, Wololo-sama… And you look like you must be wondering about my gender, I'm actually a girl."

A girl. A petite but confident girl. There was a radiance that she emitted, of competence, of vigour, of a kind of confidence. It's a rare energy, not something seen often in the New World. Not amongst girls, at least.

"I'm… Lakyus. Am I a prisoner?"

Aura chuckled, and tried to cover it with her mouth.

"Yes. You are Wololo-sama's prisoner." Aura then stepped towards the door of the room.

 _Wololo-sama. Is she referring to the squirrel?_

"And he's expecting to see you downstairs in a while. Don't make him wait, will you?" Aura then stepped out of the room.

Lakyus looked at her surroundings. The quaint little room that resembled an inn, was not an illusion, though it disconnected to what had happened to her over the past weeks. First she was in Re-Estize, then teleported somehow to a battle in some frozen snowlands, and then in an inn. She felt like she had pretty much lost track of time and where she is already, and felt like she was in some surreal dream.

Lakyus walked over a window that allowed some soft sunlight in, and looked out. That was when she realised she was very high up, as the view stretches far into the snowy mountains beyond.

She took a deep breath, and decided all she could do now, is to go along with this "dream". So she walked through the door and went down the spiral staircase into a large hall, that had a throne made of wood and a huge tree behind it, that seemed to glow ever so slightly.

On that throne she saw a squirrel, the same squirrel that attacked her, and next to it, Aura.

"You look much better now." The squirrel spoke.

"Yes." Lakyus didn't know how to answer her captor. She was physically in much better shape, she felt like her strength has returned, and so has her magical powers. But un-armed, she was in no position to fight. And what an odd question, showing concern for her. It's just so suspicious.

"And you must be hungry."

A table of wood emerged from the ground, formed of rapidly growing vines that were magically summoned. Four wooden chairs too appeared from the hall floor, appearing in the similar magical manner as the wooden vines. It's as if the growth of the vines were accelerated by magic, and guided by some hidden hand to form usable furniture.

A small iron golem appeared, carrying a wooden plate, with grilled meat, vegetables and bread on it.

"Eat some."

Lakyus looked at the squirrel quizzically, wondering whether it's some kind of trap. But after looking at Wololo and Aura for about 5 seconds, she grabbed the bread and took a bite.

It tasted a little bland, but she finished the bread anyway. She's somehow hungry once she started eating.

"So, Lakyus. I'll get to the point."

Lakyus looked up and stared at the talking squirrel, and wondered what is going to happen.

"I want you."

*cough* Lakyus almost choked at the statement.

"What.. What do you mean?" Lakyus wondered whether it was possible to mate with a squirrel.

"I want you to serve me."

 _Oh_. Lakyus wondered for a moment, and looked at the slab of grilled meat before her.

"How about… No." Lakyus wondered where she found the courage and the snarkiness to respond.

"Why not?"

"Because I prefer to be free to act as I please."

"Your friends are going to be here, by the way."

"That's a threat, isn't it..." Lakyus's eyes stared at the squirrel.

"Yes. How you choose to act, will determine whether they live or die."

Lakyus pondered the squirrel's threat for a while, wondering what his intentions are.

"What… What do you want me to do, if I serve you? What are your goals?"

"Hahaha! You're a bright girl after all." Wololo glowed and shapeshifted into a more imposing werewolf form. "Let's make a deal. You serve me for three years with unwavering loyalty, and I spare all four of their lives."

"You haven't told me what is my role, or my goals…"

"Let's just say your role is anything I want you to do."

"I would not do things that bring my kingdom and its people to harm."

The werewolf laughed again.

"Some collateral damage is expected. No harm to your country… is not something I can promise."

"Then no."

"So hasty, but I'll give you a few days to think about it."

Lakyus froze. What was he going to do to her friends.

"What about my friends?"

"They are my problem. You'll just have to watch the consequences of whatever you decide."

Lakyus wanted to attack Wololo then, even if she knew how pointless and futile that was, but the vines from the floor grabbed and restrained her.

"Do behave, will you? You should appreciate you are in no position to struggle, so eat up, and think wisely about your future."

* * *

The room after the cactus had barely any light and appears generally dark, and with limited visibility it seemed exceedingly large. They couldn't see a wall anywhere, and as such, no door either.

"What the hell is this place! We've been walking for hours and we have not gotten anywhere."

But they kept walking.

They couldn't see the end, or any door. Any flare or light they attempted to conjure was somehow eaten up by the darkness above. It seemed like they were in some kind of endless abyss.

"Is there an end to this room?"

"I'm tired. I feel like I've been walking for a whole day."

"Let's rest."

They looked at each other, and nodded at the suggestion. It seemed like it was going to be a very, very long journey. They unpacked some sleeping bags and placed them on the ground, and then sat around.

"Do you think there is an end to this room? Or there is some kind of trick to it?" Tia wondered aloud, while having a bite of her preserved bread.

"I'm pretty sure there is. Maybe it's something to do with the ground we are walking on. I feel like we've been walking around the same place."

Evileye placed her head on a small pillow she pulled out of her magic inventory, and muttered under her breath… "Walking in the same place, huh.."

Gagaran on the other hand dozed off already, exhausted from the long walk.

Tia and Tina set up some defensive traps and detectors, and took turns to sleep. As the two assassins, they both had the best surveillance abilities, so on long trips this was their role. Evileye had a magical inventory so she took all the heavy stuff and creature comforts.

The darkness in the room gave no indication whether it was night or day, and it was only their watches that gave them a clue.

* * *

 _The next day…_

"We've been walking for four hours. I really don't think this dungeon or building is that big…"

"It isn't."

Tia took out a compass. And she stopped at her place.

"I really think this is a trick room."

"They intend to starve us, huh…"

The compass needle moved slightly.

"Hmm."

Tia resumed walking, and kept looking at her compass.

"Will that tell you anything?"

And the compass needle moved again.

"I think this room… Is moving."

"Huh?"

"Or maybe the ground is moving. I don't know. The compass is moving even though we are not. It shouldn't behave this way."

The compass needle moved a little again.

"Is the ground moving against us?"

"I think so."

"So… If we move very fast… We will reach the end?"

"Well. Lets try it."

They all burst ahead, running as fast as they could.

And still there was no end in sight.

"What if we are not fast enough?"

"What?"

"The room must be quite big, that it can take us moving at that speed."

"What if the door isn't at the end?"

An imaginary lightbulb appeared over Evileye's head.

"Wait, let me try something."

Evileye touched the ground, and with all her energy tried to manipulate the ground. And the ground cracked, and through the cracks, they could catch the glimpse of some colors at the end.

"We… we are inside a huge sphere like structure."

More appropriately, the portal brought them into a huge hamster ball, and as long as they remained inside it, it would seem endless to them.

"So we've really been walking in circles."

"Yes."

The crack Evileye created somehow healed itself, and closed.

"Now that I know what I'm looking for, all of you just run behind me. I'm going to create a hole and run out of this sphere."

"Great!"

Evileye blasted a hole in the ground using her early magic, and created a gentle sloping tunnel, and though they couldn't see very far, they eventually got to the doors.

In that small crevice there were three doors. Once again they were red, blue and yellow, but they had a logo of different animals in front of them.

And Evileye just opened the first one anyway, sucking the entire team through.

* * *

"They made it out of the trap, Wololo-sama."

"They have an earth mage with them, I would be surprised if they couldn't figure that out."

"Wololo-sama, can't we just crush them?"

"We can, but maybe later. Let's have some fun and have them go through the trick rooms first. I spent so much time designing them!"

Aura nodded.

Lakyus on the other hand, wasn't happy. She was seated on a wooden chair, restrained by the vines. She, together with Aura and Wololo was watching the Blue Rose figure out the puzzle on their large magical mirror.

"Let my friends go!" She protested.

"Oh, but they are in my territory now, so I might as well play with them." Wololo grinned.

"Why are you doing this!"

"Because of you..." Wololo walked over in his werewolf, and bent over to stare into her eyes with his two glowing eyes.

"Let them go." Lakyus summoned all her willpower to resist.

"So, serve me, and I will spare them." Wololo grinned, and walked towards the massive screen. He then brought out some kind of book out of nowhere, and flipped through it, seemingly looking for something.

"That's madness…" Lakyus muttered under her breath, wondering what options she has.

"Well…"

"Wololo-sama, they are now entering the next room." Aura intervened, and then walked over to Lakyus, who's struggling in her seat.

Aura leaned over to Lakyus, and whispered.

"Please don't make this difficult for everyone."

Lakyus looked at Aura's eyes, and sighed. "I just want to be set free."

"You will be, eventually. It's just three years in service of Wololo-sama. Surely you recognise that it is a great honor to be chosen by my lord."

"No. Its slavery."

"Being a slave to a great master, is often better than being at the whims of nobility."

Lakyus looked at Aura, and just sighed.

...

The next room looked like a small training room,with all sort of weapons displayed on the walls. The quality appears to be relatively basic, and seems to be used as a practice weapon.

"You four are my opponents. I will defeat you."

The four girls turned to face a young teen, barely 15.

In his right hand was a wooden sword and on his left was a small wooden buckler shield. He tightened his grip of his wooden sword and charged ahead.

He swings his sword. They could tell he had no experience with it.

Still, Gagaran blocks with her warpick, cautious of the tricks this maze has presented so far.

And the wooden sword failed to hit its mark.

The child attacked again, and Gagaran once again blocked easily.

The child did not give up, and swings his sword repeatedly, trying to land a hit. All were deftly blocked by Gagaran's warpick.

It seemed they really were fighting a child.

"Why are we made to fight a child?"

Tia and Tina was at the three doors in the room, and tried to open them. They are locked.

"Well, we can't move on without it."

"Forcing us into killing a child. That's brutal."

The child was still swinging his sword repeatedly, flailing and screaming.

Tia and Tina fired a lasso at the child, and disabled him.

"How do we open the door?"

"Going by the past few rooms, killing him should work."

"There must be a trick."

The child is tied up in Tia's rope, unable to move. He struggles and flops around like a fish, trying to break free.

"Hey kid… how do we open the door."

"I'm not helping you!" He screamed, while flopping around like a fish.

"If you help us, we'll set you free." Evileye said, though she suspects that they actually have no power to do so, as they can't even get out of the room.

"I. Don't. Believe. You!"

"Let's kill him. We gotta get out of here." Tia said. There was a strange coldness in her words, harking back to her younger days as an assassin. She withdraws a dagger and attempts to stab him in the heart, but Evileye stopped her.

"There must be a trick." Evileye insisted.

They searched the room, figuring that a clue, if any would be in it.

Tina examined the door, wondering what the locked doors mean.

"We should kill the kid." Tia insisted.

"Have we become monsters?"

Gagaran grabbed one of the practice weapons, and swung it around.

"These things are light."

"Gagaran-san, will you focus? We're trapped here." Tia added.

"Yes, yes. Should we try hitting the door?" Gagaran walked over to one of the locked doors, and hit it with all her might.

And nothing happened.

Gagaran then walked over to the struggling, restrained child, and asked. "How do I go on to the next room? I don't want to kill a young defenseless child."

The child struggled, and flailed. The strong, muscled Gagaran tapped the child's head lightly with her knuckles, and somehow he lost consciousness.

"I knocked him out with a bit of magic, since him screaming isn't exactly helpful. But he's alive."

The three locked doors changed colors then, and they heard the doors becoming unlock.

"Well… we should've knocked him out earlier." Evileye joked, and walked over to the three doors.

The three choices presented to them were numbers. Ten, twenty, or a hundred.

"I say we take ten." Tia spoke.

"I prefer a hundred." Gagaran said.

Tina looked a little puzzled, and looked at Evileye for guidance.

"Why not the three of you play a game and figure out which number?" Evileye said, and the other three nodded. They played a game of rock, paper and scissors, and in the end, Tia won.

"So ten it is."

* * *

Lakyus was sent back to her room, and she was no longer restrained. Aura had sent her back to her room, telling her to think about Wololo's offer.

She collapsed onto her bed, and wondered should she accept the offer, to save her friends. Is she so selfish, that her freedom matters more than the lives of her friends?

She recollected to scenes she saw, where her friends struggled against monsters and camped out in the darkness. They have made the long journey, just to save her. And as she thought about it, tears started to stream down her face.

"I've got great teammates… and friends."

Would she be wasting their efforts, if she agreed to Wololo's terms? Made the journey so far, just to be told that she would serve this strange new master for three years. It was crazy. Gagaran would've smacked her for being delusional and naive to believe this crazy person.

But does she have a choice, if she wants to save her friends? This person obviously could kill them if he wanted to.

She hugged the stuffed bolster on her bed, and rolled around, wondering what to do.

"Sigh..."

* * *

Ten.

That was the number of enemies they faced. Ten large fifteen feet tall giant ogres, each armed with a massive club about 10 feet long.

Arriving in the room, they were greeted by their attacks that they barely managed to block, thanks to the swift reaction time of the two assassins' and their magical shields.

But no time to rest, as the clubs came again and again. Outnumbered, Evileye summoned a crystal wall, hoping to separate some of the ogres from the rest of the pack, and fight them on more even terms.

Gagaran, Tia and Tina swiftly used the advantage created by Evileye's walls to gang up on two of the separated ogres, landing a few hits on the massive ogres bodies.

"GRAHHHHH" The ogres yelled in pain.

Tia and Tina's large daggers were laced with strong poison, meant to weaken physically stronger enemies such as ogres.

But they didn't have much time to let the poison act, and they soon closed in again, slashing the two massive ogres while avoiding their heavy clubs. A single hit from those clubs would probably be fatal, but the two assassins' sharp and flowing movements easily dodged them.

Another slash.

The ogres bleed, but they are still stand, and managed to parry Gagaran's warpick.

Time was running out, and they could hear the cracking and crumbling of a portion of Evileye's crystal walls.

"The walls will last another minute. Kill it now."

"Trying!" Tia and Tina said in unison, landing two more slashes at different parts of the ogres. The poison should numb them by now, and Gagaran could probably land a heavy killing blow to their skull.

And as predicted, their movements became sluggish enough that Gagaran could land two killing blows on each of the ogres.

CRACKKKKK

The crystal walls collapsed, and five ogres now faced them.

"The walls lasted shorter than I expected, but whatever."

[Crystal lance]

A slab of crystal flew towards the ogre, which it parried with their massive clubs. Though it didn't manage to harm the ogre, it did bring enough force to cause one of the ogres to stagger a few steps backwards.

Tia, Tina and Gagaran dashed, with the two assassins landing multiple cuts on each of the ogres, intending to inflict poison on each of them, so that Gagaran and Evileye would have an easier time.

One of the ogres roared.

[BATTLE FURY]

The five ogres radiated a strange reddish glow, and Evileye immediately screamed.

"Get back!"

The ogres' clubs seemed to swing at significantly faster speed than before, and even with the assassins' deft reflexes, they barely dodged it.

Gagaran, unable to dodge, parried one of the clubs, activating her martial arts to take the massive hit. [Fortress]

Still, the furious ogre's swing was strong enough to push her back.

"Their fury state won't last forever, let's trap them!" Tia yelled.

Evileye activated [Crystal Wall] twice, attempting to entomb the five ogres. And it seemed to have worked for about half a minute, giving her teammates precious time to recover.

When the crystals exploded from the ogre's smashing, Tia and Tina's exploding traps activated, and right in front of the ogres, burning the ogres skin.

The red glow around the ogres faded a little.

Evileye activated [Crystal wall] again, mentally calculating how many more uses she has for the walls.

Gagaran grabbed her warpick, and activated a chain of ability boosting skills, and when the ogres broke free of the crystal wall again, she dashed in and slammed her warpick into the ogres with incredible force, smashing two of their heads.

"Three left."

"No, six. There's another three that's breaking free of their walls soon."

Tia and Tina, observing the somewhat disoriented ogres weakened guard, placed a lot more explosive traps around the three ogres and activated them.

And it went KABOOOOOOOOOOM, causing their blood to splatter everywhere.

"Should've used the bombs earlier." Tia joked.

"There's still three more." Tina smiled at her twin sister.

The crystal wall holding back the other three collapsed just in time, and Gagaran slammed her ability-boosted warpick into one of them, blasting it backwards, flying into the walls.

"Wow, you monster! You managed to hit an ogre so hard that it flew!" Evileye joked, but now that she didn't have to maintain the crystal wall as they were only facing three left, she was free to participate in closer combat.

She seemed to have teleported close to one of the Ogres, and multiple crystal lances appeared around the ogre, and impaled it from multiple directions.

"Show off."

Tia and Tina, eager not to be outdone, dashed in on the last remaining ogre, and tapped a few explosive traps around its body.

And blasted the ogre to oblivion.

There are no ogres left.

"Lucky we didn't pick a hundred."

"True." Evileye wondered what were their odds if they faced a hundred ogres, but decided not to calculate too much halfway.

* * *

Lakyus cheered, clapping her hands and a fistpump when her teammates killed the last ogre.

"Your friends are pretty good." Wololo commented.

"Of course. We're the Blue Rose, one of the adamantium ranked adventurer teams in Re-Estize!"

"Not bad indeed, but let's increase the difficulty." Wololo laughed.

Lakyus gave Wololo an intense stare. "Let us go already. You had your fun!"

"Oh no, I think I'm just getting warmed up." Wololo then did some warm up exercises, flexing his arms and legs a little. "Aura, I'm going over to say hello. Watch over our guest, will you?"

Aura bowed, "As you command, Wololo-sama."

Lakyus had a horrified expression on her face.

* * *

Their next room was a vast, open field. They could even see the stars. And there was no enemy as far as they could see.

"We're… outside!" Tia exclaimed.

"Yes, we are. But there's supposed to be a door, isn't it?"

Then a beam of golden light came down from the sky, a special effect-laced teleportation spell, meant to create a slight effect at the targeted area. It was meant to mimic the presence of gods in old Greek or Moman movies, where the god's appearance often was accompanied by a brilliant ray of light.

Wololo appeared in the form of a fully armored leonin, in glowing golden armor adorned with little carvings, complete with an animated flowing cape similar to Touch-Me, but only yellowish in color. His head was that of a regal lion, with beautiful golden mane and fur, his eyes a bright yellow. In his right hand was a beautifully crafted hammer, and on his other hand, a yellow-golden gauntlet, with a few gems slotted in.

This was Wololo's "Golden Lion" form, a form inspired by the gloriousness of Touch-Me. Wololo underwent a phase in the guild wanting to be like Touch-Me, but having selected a whole set of levels that went in another direction, and having none of his superb technical combat knowledge, realised he would not get anywhere near him in strength. So, he designed a form as a shapeshifter that allowed him to look the part (without actually having the combat prowess of Touch-Me), just so that Wololo can placate his sorrow.

In the darkness of the night, his presence glowed bright.

"Look! There's a cute giant walking cat!" Tia commented.

 _CUTE?! Do they not know what a lion is?_

"It's a giant cat, but cats don't have such long hair around its head." Tina responded to her twin.

Wololo mentally wondered why they weren't intimidated.

"I've never seen such a big cat." Tia commented.

"It's really cute."

RROOOOAARRRRRR

Wololo let out a deep roar.

The four ladies though didn't flinch, and merely looked with some kind of strange eyes.

"The cat even sounds cool!" Tia added. "How is that possible, cute and cool at the same time!"

Wololo wondered where did his prior assessment go wrong, as there was no indicator that the assassins were cat-fans. Is a walking armored lion not intimidating enough?

"Enough." Wololo spoke, with a deep voice.

Tia went on though, "Whoah the big cat can talk too!" Tina looked helpless, and smacked Tia on the head.

"We're in a mission, sis! Get a grip."

The four then entered a combative stance.

"Who are you, our next opponent?"

Wololo grinned. "I'm not your next opponent." A portal then appeared next to him.

"This is outside of the Maze, as you all would have realised. Whereas here, this portal leads you to the next opponent."

Evileye looked at the giant walking cat keenly.

"So I present you with a choice, retreat now and save yourself. Or proceed through this portal and face enemies stronger than you can imagine."

Evileye blinked ahead appearing right on top of Wololo, and blasted a huge crystal lance at him. But the crystal dissipated the moment it got anywhere near the giant cat.

She however didn't flinch and blasted a few more crystal lances.

All of them however vanished the moment it got anywhere near the cat.

"Such petty magic cannot harm me."

The golden armor came with a passive skill of nullifying all magic attack below Tier 4 and physical attack skills at Tier 5. It is sort of a substitute to Ainz's superior Tier 6 nullifying skill, since Wololo doesn't have that skill himself. The golden armor was therefore absolutely useless in Yggdrasil since at the Level 100 gameplay, very very few people use Tier 4 skills. But in the new world, such powers are pretty much godly.

The two assassins jumped in, attempting to stab him in the head. Similarly, their attacks bounced off an invisible magical wall.

"The game is simple."

Wololo spoke, despite constant magical attacks from Evileye.

"Defeat the opponents beyond the portal, and I will free your friend. Lose, and all of you will be my servants. Or flee, and never come back! So choose wisely. Muahahahahahhahaha~"

Wololo's evil laugh contradicted the noble appearance of his Golden Lion form. For the 4 ladies that have never seen a lion in their lives, they could only stare at the strange creature.

"Good luck, mortals." Wololo then vanished, in a beam of light, in the same manner as he came.

All four of them looked at each other.

"So…"

"We're doomed if we go through that portal." Tia commented.

"Wait. What's that supposed to mean." Gagaran said.

Tia looked at Gagaran and Evileye, and sighed. "You saw how our attacks didn't work against the giant cat. We struggled against our earlier enemies, and if he is our opponent, we don't stand a chance."

"Are you saying we should give up, Tia?" Gagaran was bewildered. "We came so far!"

"Yes. But to go further is to walk blindly towards death." Tia insisted.

"Then what about Lakyus? She's our friend and she needs our help!"

Tia looked really uncomfortable, her face obviously torn and conflicted. "I know.. She's our friend. But I feel we're out of our depth here…"

"Tia's right." Evileye walked closer to the portal. "Is there an alternative, I wonder..."

* * *

"You bastard." Lakyus screamed out. The entire conversation was shown via the viewing mirror, and the blonde adventurer struggled all the way, watching what was happening at her seat. She winced when she heard the conversation between the rest of her former teammates.

Wololo approached the adventurer, and bent down to stare at her.

"It's either you serve me, or they die. And you'll serve me anyway."

"Then what's the point of this torment!"

"Aura, what do you think?" Wololo looked over to Aura, and noticed the elf flipping through some books.

"Oh… I believe it's to teach them a lesson."

"A lesson?! What kind of lesson? Don't shit around with me!" Lakyus struggled, trying to shake off the vines that tied her up. She kept struggling, as she has in the past, but it doesn't really work. It's an exercise in futility, trying to escape from those magical vines.

"Now, now, young lady. Maybe I'll let your friends choose instead. Let's see whether any of them are willing to sacrifice themselves for you."

"You crazy, mad, ridiculous, insane, giant cat-squirrel creature!"

"I'm a shapeshifter, I take whichever form I please." Wololo grinned, and tapped her on the head. And then Wololo transformed into Lakyus.

"What do you think if I go to see them…. As you?" Wololo spoke, this time complete with a copy of Lakyus's actual voice.

"You… crazy… bastard." Lakyus broke down. Seeing a copy of herself, somehow she cried.

"What if I become you?"

* * *

"So… let's go?" Evileye asked. "All of you made up your mind?"

"Yes." The other three ladies replied. Earlier they went through a long discussion and finally decided that no matter the odds, it was not for them to abandon a friend. And so, through the portal they go.

The next room was a large room that looked like a torture chamber. There were various equipment of pain hung on the wall, chains and restraints, clamps, locks, cages and more. It was a room designed by a torture specialist, with almost every means of torture available.

Tia and Tina felt a strange chill run through their body.

"Greetings."

The Blue Rose turn to face four tree-like creatures, each of them about ten feet tall. One of them, looked like a burnt out tree, with glowing yellow eyes, and had branches for arms and roots for legs. The other three were not burnt, but each of them had different type of leaves and fruits on their top.

"We are Wololo-sama's Evil Ents, and you will be defeated here." They spoke with a strange, hollow and wispy voice.

Evileye instantly knew what they faced was at least a league above what they faced before, from the malice and combat aura it emitted. One of the trees emitted a kind of spore from it's branches, and blasted it out, filling the room.

And the other ent put it's roots into the ground, that appeared as vines to restrain the four adventurers. Evileye and the two assassins manage to dodge the vines, but Gagaran was entangled by the vines, as they emerged way too fast for her to react in time.

"Gagaran!" Evileye yelled, and blasted multiple crystal lances at the four ents, hoping to free her friend. But with 4 ents, that was pretty much wishful thinking.

Another ent retaliated with a whole lot of seeds, deflecting the crystal lances mid-air, and causing them to miss.

Tia and Tina took the chance to charge in, and placed a few explosive traps on the ents, and activated them, causing an explosion in the room.

But the roots that bind Gagaran only gotten stronger, and her face started to turn a little blue. Tia then tried to cut the roots off with her knife but the bark was too thick, so it only made a small cut.

From the smoke of the explosion, a few fireballs were sent their way.

"Whaaaaaaaaaaa~" Tia dodged, but Tina was too near the smoke and didn't manage to react on time, and the fireball hit her back, causing her to fly across the room and smacked into a wall. She then struggled to get up, a little dizzy from the impact.

As the smoke clears, it's now clear that the head of the four ents are now on fire. But, that meant the [Evil Ents] have transformed into [Burning Evil Ents].

"Oh shit." Evileye yelled, as she dodged a few more fireballs.

Tia ran over to help Tina up, while Gagaran activated a few skills and attempted to wrestle the roots.

A few more fireballs, and Evileye created a huge crystal wall to block it. The fireballs blasted the crystal away, sending crystal shrapnel all over the room.

"Darn."

Gagaran's attempts to wrestle the roots were not good, as more roots appeared, and overpowered her. She was then slammed to the ground, tied up by the many roots.

Tia and Tina, both dodged a few more fireballs, but somehow realised their reaction time was slowing.

The spore earlier was a slow poison that was inhaled. Evileye being a vampire was immune, but the two of them felt the world started to spin.

Evileye, realising that her three comrades now in no position to fight, pulled in all her energy into her next spell, and blasted a huge wave of crystal out at the four ents. Then it all went black for her too, as a huge wave of vines appeared all around her.

* * *

"Stop! Stop it already..."

Lakyus was crying… she wasn't really used to crying, but here she was. Her hair was messy, her eyes red.

She couldn't bear the torture of watching her friends suffer, and not be there with them.

"Stop… I'll do it. I'll serve you. Let them go already." Lakyus said, her face looked like a total wreck.

Wololo looked over at the weeping adventurer, and waved his hand. The vines that restrained the blonde adventurer then withdrawn itself into the floor, releasing her. Lakyus collapsed to the floor, weak from the struggling against the vines.

She tried to push herself up, but her hands were weak.

"I'll… do it. Just let them go..."

Wololo walked over and tapped her on her head, casting a healing spell on her. Lakyus felt a warm sensation course through her body, restoring strength to her limbs.

"Stand up, and say it again."

Lakyus stood, her physical strength returned, but her spirit still remain broken.

"I'll serve you." And just as she stood, she quickly knelt down again, before the lion.

"Good."

Wololo waved his hand, and the screen changed. The four ladies, trapped in various torture instruments. They were screaming and struggling, and their voices were clearly pained. It seemed they've just went through a few sessions of torture.

Lakyus gasped. "LET THEM GO!"

Wololo smiled, "Put this on, and I will let them go." He pulled out a small necklace with a glowing blue gem at the center, and passed it to her.

The blonde adventurer grabbed it and quickly put it around her neck. No longer asking much questions, as seeing her friends in so much pain snapped something deep within her.

"Good. Now let's go meet them."

Lakyus gasped. "Uh…"

A teleportation ring appeared around Lakyus, Aura and Wololo, and in an instant, their surroundings changed and they are now in the torture chambers.

Lakyus called out to her friends, all tied up by the magical torture devices. She saw them gagged, unable to talk.

"Free them!" She turned at Wololo.

"Alright." Wololo laughed, and waved his animal hand. The chains somehow magically loosened, and the gag balls fell off their mouth. The two assassins who were dipped in some kind of insect tank was pulled out by the chains, and the insects vanished into some magical tunnel below.

"Lakyus…" Tia called, but Lakyus didn't let her continue and embraced her tightly, while crying. There was a weakness in her eyes that Lakyus had not seen before.

"Looks like you'll need some time. Lakyus, you have an hour." Wololo looked over to Aura, and a teleportation ring appeared again.

They left.

The other three girls, Tina, Gagaran and Evileye crawled over with their remaining strength, and joined their embrace.

"Lakyus, you idiot…" Evileye said.

Lakyus held them tightly. And they remained in embrace for a good two minutes, before one of them spoke.

"So… what sort of deal did you make?" Evileye was first to ask.

Lakyus, now slightly recovered from her earlier crying, couldn't quite answer her. "Are you all alright?"

Evileye hit Lakyus on the head lightly, "Don't avoid the question."

Lakyus sighed and looked at Evileye in the eye. "I… agreed to serve that guy."

All the four girls looked at her and gave her a smack at about the same time. "You. IDIOT!"

"I did it to save all of you. I couldn't stand watching the pain and torture they were putting you through."

Tia and Tina nodded, as the pain they felt earlier was pretty horrifying. The pool of insects left, the constant scratch of their skin with pain amplifying knives. Gagaran had needles pierce many parts of her body and some of the needles hung over her eye, almost touching it. Needless to say the thought of going through it made her shiver.

"So… What now?" Tia asked. "What else did you agree to?"

"I… Don't know."

They all looked at each other. "Can we bust you out?"

"I don't think we should, or we could. We don't know what he'll do to us."

It was then a teleportation ring appeared around all of them.

* * *

They were brought back to the main throne room, where there is a massive tree in the center, and a throne made of that tree's roots and vines.

Sat on the throne was Wololo, flanked by Aura.

"So, have you girls said your goodbyes already?" The dark elf asked. "There is much to be done."

Lakyus shook her head. "No. I'm not ready."

"You have another 15 minutes. Once that is up we will forcefully separate you and send the rest of your friends, and send them through the portal." Aura spoke.

They could sense a fearsome aura being projected on them, as if there was someone bearing down on them. This was Aura's [Force Projection] used to manage creep's hate and aggression.

"Will we ever see each other again?"

"I don't know…" Lakyus answered, and she looked like she was going to cry.

They hugged each other. Gagaran though was not ready to part with her friend, and charged at Aura, attempting to punch her.

But a wall of wood appeared, blocking her punch, and from the walls, a huge bunch of vines appeared and ensnared her. And she screams in pain, as vines were covered in thorns, cutting her as it tied her up.

"Time's up." Wololo spoke. "Maybe you'll get to see each other some day."

Glowing magical rings appeared around the other four Blue Roses, as Lakyus still tried to hold on to them.

"You'll be sent back to border of Re-Estize, so say your goodbyes."

"No. Wait." Lakyus begged.

Tia and Tina managed a weak smile and nod, and softly whispered their goodbyes.

Gagaran touched Lakyus's palm, and said, "This isn't over. We'll see each other again."

"Bye, Lakyus." The four girls glowed bright, and then vanished, disappeared without a trace. Lakyus fell on her knees, and wept.

* * *

Note : Hope it's not too long for you readers. _Cheer!_

Hope you enjoyed it. I really enjoyed reading your reviews, and they really do motivate me to keep this going. :)


	16. Chapter 13

They vanished.

Lakyus turned to face Aura and Wololo, her eyes watery and red.

"Don't worry, I've just sent them back to the vicinity of some small town." The leonin spoke, and walked over to her. "They'll live, as long as they don't try anything stupid. As for you, now you serve me."

"..." Lakyus's bitter face was one of reluctance, of pain.

"You may hate me, but cooperate and serve yme well, and you will be rewarded properly." Wololo turned to tap on the dark elf, "Aura, see her to her new room, and give her a briefing. I'll be at the workshop. And clean her up a little, she looks so miserable."

"Yes, Wololo-sama." Aura bowed.

Wololo then teleported away, in a flashy transformation into vines and flowers.

Aura then turned to look at Lakyus and gave a nice, warm smile. "It'll be good to have another woman around the house. So cheer up, and come with me. Your friends are alive. So as Wololo-sama said, play along and everything will be fine."

Lakyus, still rubbing away the tears in her eyes, reluctantly obeys, and followed her through a different flight of stairs.

"Why can't I have that old room?"

"It's not suitable." Aura spoke, and they soon arrived at a room. She pulled out a metal key, and unlocks the door. She then hands over the keys to Lakyus. "This is your room. Wash up and change into something you like."

"Wow." Lakyus gasped. The room was like a little princess's room, with plenty of natural lighting and a beautiful bed. There was a few cabinets and a lovely dressing table by the side. There were plenty of soft colors, pink, baby blue and peach, so the room exuded an aura of cuteness. "Its a little… overwhelming."

"We're not too familiar with human tastes, but the dwarven architect that designed the room said this was the design human girls love, so we went with his expertises. Let us know if you don't like it."

Aura then walked over to the cabinet, and opened them, revealing a few different sets of clothes.

"And some new clothes for your duties."

Lakyus quickly walked over and inspected what was her new clothes, and turned to Aura.

"What… exactly is my duty again?" She asked, while looking carefully at the clothes they prepared for her. A few of them were dresses, and some of them were fitting shirts that's normally worn beneath armor. The nature of the dressing made her wonder whether her job is to bear that mad squirrel a heir.

"Ah… we'll get to that." The dark elf then sat on the small sofa in the room.

Lakyus grabbed one set of the new clothes and went into a small changing room to change, out of her dirty, torn clothes. In about a minute she came out, in a new set of shirt and pants.

"So… sit, and let me explain what actually Wololo-sama has in mind… and how you fit in."

Lakyus then sat down on the chair opposite the sofa.

"The supreme beings have decided to have a contest, a battle of their skill and prowess. And rather than fight it out themselves, they have decided to select natives of this new world to fight for them."

"Wait. Supreme beings?"

"Yes."

"With an 's'?"

Aura looked at Lakyus quizzically. "Oh. Yes."

"Is Wololo a supreme being?"

"Yes, Wololo-sama is one of them."

"And… who are we competing against?"

"Ainz Ooal Gown-sama. The leader of the Supreme being, the overlord of death. A very powerful undead elder lich."

"Huh?!"

"Wololo-sama and Ainz-sama are supreme beings, our gods, and they are having a competition. It is battle that requires you mortals as representative of the supreme beings, as we, the beings of Nazarick are not allowed to compete." Aura was a little annoyed at having to repeat herself. But she is tasked to brief this mortal, and so she will.

"So the supreme beings do battle, and I selected to fight for Wololo?"

Lakyus tried to mentally process what she just heard.

 _Am I caught in some conflict between the gods? The gods have now descended and are selecting us mortals as their champions, to fight a war by proxy?_

"Yes. Finally you get it. So you will also assist us to train some new people. And just help Wololo-sama win this battle of the gods.."

 _Battle of the gods._

Lakyus waited a while. More of a stunned silence, really.

There is more than one person with Wololo's power? Thinking about it, she felt a strange chill pass through her body, and faced the realisation that the world will change, whether she liked it or not.

* * *

They were teleported far away, to a vast grassland close to a border village, Carne Village.

All of them were awfully quiet. They were beaten, and humiliated. All four of them were overwhelmed, and in the end, they may have forced Lakyus to submit to whoever captured her.

Tia touched her skin, wondering how normal it looked. A while ago, it was covered in scars and cuts, and she was bleeding. Insects and worms were crawling and biting at every part of her, and though her body is perfectly fine, she still feels them. Crawling.

Tina too, went through the same torture, and for her, it was the worms. Them crawling and pushing their way into every part of her gave her a kind of shock she didn't know before. Not even in her assassin's torture training did she encounter such sadistic ways of inflicting mental pain. Her skin felt it, her ears felt it, certain parts of her still felt it. Her eyes were weak, and in her mind, what she needed now, was sleep.

Gagaran fared slightly better, the pain that she felt has since numbed, and psychologically she wasn't scarred as bad as the two assassins who experienced the various insect tanks. All she got was various slow cuts and intense pain from the strange liquid the torturers sprayed on her body. Physically painful, but it fades in time.

Evileye on the other hand, was knocked unconscious. She had far better tolerance for pain as a vampire, and so the physical torture that was attempted, mostly didn't quite work on her. But it was not the pain that worried her. For her, this was a threat that exceeded that of the evil deities, and the world needed to be prepared, or be swept away by the incredible power that this enemy faced.

As each of them nursed their pain and worries, they slowly walked, and eventually arrived at Carne Village.

There was a strangeness in the air. One that was different from previous defeats, and the team somehow was missing it's usual cohesiveness.

And without Lakyus, perhaps them together as the Blue Rose, will end. Looking at the eyes of Tia and Tina, there was something that changed in them. There was a kind of fear in their eye, a deep, gaping hole.

To Evileye, it felt like she lost at least 3 of her friends that day.

"Let's rest at this village, alright?" Evileye asked, finally arriving at the village's gate.

Tia and Tina could only muster a nod. Gagaran could still smile, and reply. "Yes."

Carne Village.

The guards of the village looked at them cautiously, and a few armed goblins appeared, took combat position, ready to strike.

"Who are you, and why are you here!" One goblin yelled.

Evileye responded for the team, noticing the unusual presence of a goblin in a human village, but they were too weak to fight. "We need food and shelter."

" _Go call the boss."_ Evileye overheard them speak, and some footsteps were heard. The Blue Rose, or at least the two assassins were in no mood for a fight, and if the goblins chased them away, they would just leave and camp somewhere in the forests.

A bit more footsteps and whispering, and eventually, a young, cute-looking girl appeared on the wooden tower. She looked 16, and had a radiant smile that greeted them.

"Sorry, the goblins didn't hear you clearly. Who are you again?" Enri asked.

"We are the Blue Rose, an adamantite ranked adventurer group, and we'd like to rest in your village."

"Oh." Some more whispering happened, but in about 30 seconds, the wooden gates were opened. The young lady earlier was at the gates, ready to greet them.

"Sorry for the trouble, we don't have much here to satisfy high level adventurers. But we'll give you what we can, some simple food and really basic beds..." Enri was modestly describing her village's facilities.

"That'll do." Evileye said as the team walked slowly into the walled village. She noticed the walls were somewhat new, and the goblins were the primary group manning and patrolling them.

"It's my first time meeting the Blue Rose… but pardon my ignorance, isn't there 5 of you?" Enri asked.

Everyone in the group felt like they were stabbed. It felt like she just tore open a recovering wound.

"Erm.. some things happened. Let's not probe further, okay?" Evileye quickly tried to diffuse the negativity.

"Ah yes, I'm so sorry. I really hear a lot of great stories of your adventures!" Enri smiled.

Evileye tapped Enri on the shoulder and pulled her close. "I don't mean to be rude, but the team's a little down. So just erm… do you mind just getting us to a place we can rest and get some food. I think they really need it."

"Oh…"

Enri, getting the message, started to walk faster to the village hall, which has some guest rooms that are normally made available to visitors. And her guests were swiftly brought into their guest rooms. Evileye then passed Enri a little bit of money to pay for the room.

"I'll get some food cooked." Enri bowed and left the 4 girls in the room, closing the door. "Do you need any potions?"

"We have enough, thanks." Evileye replied, and Enri nodded, and left them alone in the guest room.

Tia and Tina collapsed onto the bed, and fell asleep from exhaustion. Gagaran too, tried to take a nap. Perhaps they all wished this was a bad dream they could wake up from.

Evileye left her teammates in the room to rest, and walked out.

"Let's leave the food outside." Evileye whispered to Enri who was cooking at the kitchen a short walk away.

"Oh.. okay. Something pretty bad must have happened, huh."

"Yeah. It's complicated. Anyway, how'd you get goblins so happily patrolling in your village?"

"Oh… we got some help. We were attacked by some rogue knights and templars, and this wonderful hero came and assisted us to fight them off."

Evileye looked at her curiously. "Is he still here?"

"He left. But left us the goblins for protection."

"I see."

* * *

"How are you two feeling?"

"I… don't know." Tia said, sighing. She just woke up from her sleep. It has not been a peaceful one, as the dreams of the insects crawling all over replay in her mind. "I feel… weak."

Tina sat next to her, and leaned on her twin sister. "I… think I want to retire. Find a quiet farm somewhere and live quietly. Maybe this Carne village would be nice."

Tia hugged her sister, in understanding.

Gagaran looked over at Evileye. "It's just the two of us then." She then walked over to hug both of the assassins. She was thankful that she did not have to experience the insect pool, but could relate to the horror as she was next to them, watching them scream and struggle when the insects were poured out.

"You'll both be staying here?"

"Yea… let me stay and accompany my sister." Tia said. "I think we just need some time to recover from what we just experienced."

Evileye nodded, "We'll head for the city then, and afterwards I'll need to look for some old friends." With the threat they faced, Evileye needed to sound the alarm, fast.

Gagaran then packed up her things, but half way she stopped and gave the two assassins another hug. "Take care, you two. We'll be here if you need us."

Tia nodded.

Evileye felt a strange pain in her chest. This scene of parting ways, is a kind of torment that she could not put words to.

* * *

The training room, is large, airy place, where there is a lot of natural lighting from the windows high up, and the room is littered with rays of sunlight. The walls are made out of natural, aged wood, giving the room a relaxed, cozy yet historic feel. It's as if this place had been here for ages, when it was just built barely a month ago.

"This is the main training area, where you will be conducting the combat training. I believe you have little experience giving training, but you'll have to get used to it soon."

"Who am I training?" Lakyus asked.

"As of now..." Aura gave an awkward laugh, while rubbing her head slightly.

"So… what do I do in the meantime?"

"Ermm…"

 _*bloosh*_

"You'll be helping me in the workshop, and a few other things." Wololo-sama appeared out of the floor, through a flower like structure that was blooming. Wololo's teleportation skills seem to always be accompanied by some flashy animation.

Lakyus gulped.

"Ah… Aura's told you about the battle, right?" Lakyus nodded. "Your Kirineiram happens to be the most valuable new-world item I have so far."

"Can I have it back?"

"Soon, after I'm done researching it."

Then, a shadow appeared, and attempted to attack Lakyus with a slash. She reacted in time to dodge it, but unarmed, she was unable to retaliate.

"You! Didn't we kill you already?" Lakyus entered into a combat stance, but unarmed and without her armor, she didn't stand a good chance.

Arana, the spider lady that the Blue Rose had slain earlier, shrugged. "Seems like I don't die so easily." She now had a full set of light armor, and twin three feet long short blades on both hands. If they were to fight, Arana would win because of her superior equipment.

"Ah yes, you two already met." Aura commented. "Lakyus, meet Arana. Arana, meet Lakyus."

Wololo then tapped Arana on the head, "Now now, be good to our new team-member."

"What?!"

"You heard me, she's our new team-member."

"She's joining us?"

"Yes."

"But why? She's the enemy!"

"Because I say so. And no, she isn't the enemy."

Arana, realising her insolence in challenging Wololo, quickly bowed and apologised. "I'm sorry Wololo-sama. I don't mean to challenge your decision."

"I accept your apology, So be nice to each other. You'll be working together."

"Ooh?!" Both Lakyus and Arana reacted.

* * *

The ceasefire was accepted, despite protests from certain parties. The King declared, together with the Six Nobles.

The Six Nobles, after Marquis Boullope's incredibly specific narration of the immense power they faced, unanimously agreed that further war against such an enemy, would only bring negative consequences.

King Lamposa, however, was greatly pleased at the outcome of the discussion. War was averted, and a peaceful coexistence likely.

Gazef and Brain once again was tasked with the honor of delivering the message, along a convoy with a partial, initial, fulfillment of the ceasefire terms as a gesture of goodwill. Boullope, surprisingly and unsurprisingly, volunteered to provide the demands from his domain, along with a personal letter of apology.

Prince Barbro, in response of the Marquis's perceived betrayal and desertion of their cause though, accused Marquis Boullope of cowardice. He was not too happy, with how the Marquis torpedoed his chances at being King. In anger, he left for his own domain. To him, it felt like his chances of being King had just evaporated before his eyes, and he was not going to take it. If the nobles refuse to assist him in his quest for the throne, he would have to seize it himself.

Raeven still had the north to deal with. Erik has yet to respond to his earlier offers of autonomy, and after a concession to ceasefire, the nobles may not be willing to lose further grounds against a belligerent group of peasants. The speed at which this skirmish was settled was quite unlike prior occasions.

A swift and decisive crushing by this Necropolis, and Raeven himself made a note to find out more of this "Ainz Ooal Gown", about his abilities, his objectives and his motivations. He then commissioned a network of merchants to gather information, data, anything they could get from Necropolis, through the trade route that would soon be opened as a result of the ceasefire.

* * *

"The mistress summons!" The village chief yells.

The elves ran over in a hurry. There was no leniency in disobedience, not when it is Lady Albedo that gives the command.

Gathered in a town square, they awaited. Every now and then, the mayor would give pronouncements here, of the desires of their lord and Emperor, Ainz Ooal Gown-sama. The mayor would often be seen reciting from a huge scroll prepared by the scribes, listing down the orders of the week.

But a pronouncement by Lady Albedo is unusual, and therefore treated with great respect... and fear.

"Welcome, all of you citizens of Necropolis."

"His greatness, and your Emperor, Ainz Ooal Gown-sama, is in a divine battle with a Supreme Being."

"Divine battle?" The elves whispered amongst themselves, but they quickly silenced themselves once Albedo continued.

"All of you, are his subjects, and as his subjects, his battle, is also your battle. Ainz-sama's victory, determines the fate of Necropolis. Defeat, and Necropolis will be destroyed. Remember, thatyour lives depend on Ainz-sama, and the fate of your world rests on Ainz-sama's victory." Albedo spoke, her voice loud and clear, as she stood on the speaker's platform.

"So, those with hidden talents for combat, speak and report to the mayor's quarter tomorrow. You will be assessed, and if deemed worthy, will be properly trained. To be Ainz-sana's champion is an honor not to be refused, and you will be suitably rewarded should you succeed. Victory, is how you repay your Emperor's kindness."

Albedo paused, and waited for the message to sink in.

"Your Emperor and master lifted you from your pathetic misery, it is time to repay his benevolence! Now prove yourself and serve your Lord and Supreme Being!"

Albedo paused again.

"Defeat, will not be tolerated! Glory, to our supreme being, Ainz-sama!"

Albedo stopped, and watched the shocked reaction of her crowd. Some 3,000 elves gathered from throughout the village, it was the first time they had heard and understood their purpose and reason for existence.

It was quiet at first, as the news sinks in but somewhere amongst the crowd, someone yelled.

"Glory to Emperor Ainz!"

"Victory to his majesty, Ainz-sama!" And another continued.

And the crowd continued chanting Ainz-sama's name.

Albedo smiled. Though weak, perhaps there was a glimmer of hope in them. Even if most of them would only be able to serve as fodder in the battles ahead.

* * *

AN : Shorter chapter. Enjoy.

(hopefully I didn't write anyone OOC. )


	17. Chapter 14

_Winter. Year 0._

It's the first winter since they came to this world...

"Snow feels cold."

"Of course, Wololo-sama." Aura laughed, slightly amused at her master's comment. "It's snow. Unless you want warm snow, then it'll just be water."

"Ah no no. That's not what I mean. Just that, I have not stopped to appreciate the natural surroundings." Wololo rolled up a small snowball, and threw it gently at Aura. "And snow… I've never felt it in my world. So… it's still really odd to feel snow, even now."

The snowball landed a little short, missing Aura. She too, made a small snowball, and threw it back at Wololo, figuring it was some way of having fun.

"Where do the supreme beings come from, Wololo-sama?" She asked, genuinely curious. She rolled up another snowball, and threw it a little faster this time. But the snowball disintegrated midair into loose snow. She frowned.

"A world of… machines." Wololo then hopped over, and tapped Aura on her head.

Wololo sat on a small ledge, and looked out to the snowy terrain beyond. It's a collection of valleys and hills, half a day's distance from their own claimed valley up in the mountains. It was home to a few small tribes of various demi-humans, such as kobolds and blue hobgoblins, and they survived off hunting the wild goats and picking of the berries that grow in these challenging terrain.

"Machines?" It's a strange conception for Aura, a nature-element user.

"Yes… they are like tools that can think for itself." Wololo jumped off the ledge, and landed multiple feet down, gracefully like a cat.

"Magical tools, then?" Aura hopped, leaped, and then landed next to Wololo, like it was nothing.

"Ah… yes. You can say that." Wololo struggled to explain the concept of technology, and perhaps in a world with magic, technology may not be very much distinguishable from magic.

They approached a small kobold encampment, right outside of the many caves that litter the mountain ranges. The kobolds seem fairly tribal, with minimal creature comforts. They have what appears to a makeshift shack for some simple tools, and their weapons appear to be mostly crude knives and sabres, probably collected or stolen from passer-bys.

"Should we engage, Wololo-sama?" Aura was ready. They were about 100 meters away, but from this distance, Aura could do a skill that allowed her to jump and dive right into the middle of the small camp, as a surprise attack.

"There's no need to attack. They seem harmless." Wololo jumped in another direction, slightly away from the kobolds.

Aura nodded, and followed suit.

"What do these magic tools do, Wololo-sama?"

Wololo smiled. Aura had started up to get really comfortable around him, and is now willing to engage in longer conversation. Initially it felt like he was giving commands, and all she said was affirmative.

"Ah.. a lot of things.. Make food. Make things. Move people around. The world runs on them. We even have them inside us."

Aura looked a little quizzical, and pondered the idea of magical tools being inside her body. She frowned and shook her head. "I don't think I like that."

"They're really really small." Wololo wasn't exactly sure how small the nanobots were.

They leaped again, over a few more cliffs and ledges, and across a few snow covered fields and hills.

"Are you cold, Aura? I just noticed you don't have any winter wear."

Aura shook her head a little, "No, Wololo-sama. I have a skill that regulates my body temperature so I can always perform at my best level, even in difficult environments. I believe it's a passive."

"Ah, the Ranger's [No-environmental penalty] skill."

"Yes, that's the one." Wololo rubbed his chin, and then leaped up a ledge. Aura followed.

"That's an interesting side effect of the skill."

It's been about 2 hours since they've been hunting.

"Do you have a skill like that too, Wololo-sama?" Aura suddenly stopped, and touched the ground with her fingers.

"Yes." Wololo too stopped, and closed his eyes. From thin air, five white birds fluttered into existence, and flew it a five separate directions.

"Our prey is near, Wololo-sama." The snow had some leftover footprints, partially masked by the snow.

"My nose tells me its that way…" Wololo pointed in a general direction. Aura nodded, and they both sped off.

"It is an elusive prey."

Wololo nodded, as they climb up another hill of rocks and snow swiftly, as if gravity and vertigo had little effect on them, and then across the ice and snow fields, and through the bare vegetation, through the dried and shrunken patches of shrubbery and plants.

"I think that's it."

A frost giant.

12 meters tall, with the facial features of an angry and very old man. It's hair is pure white, like the snow and ice around it, and it's skin a mixed patch of grey and light brown. It has fur on some part of it's body and skin, also white as snow.

It's a reclusive monster, generally wanders around the snowy peaks and glaciers. In winter it's natural habitat expands somewhat, as the wider expanse of snow affords it greater cover and camouflage. When it encounters humans, it's first act is not to fight, but to hide, using it's natural affinity to water and ice magic to create natural cover and minor snowstorms to distract the humans, and then flee. Though one on one it is incredibly powerful on its own, and would easily overpower a single individual, as it is normally a solitary creature, it knows it is often outnumbered by humans, and so often tries to avoid being discovered.

"It's the first frost giant in this world we've seen." Wololo reminisce their prior hunts for frost giants to collect special loot, for level promotions and item upgrades. There were some quests where they had to slay a number of frost giants too. "It's far weaker though…"

"Capture it anyway. I want it alive."

Aura nodded, and swings her whip. It magically extended itself into a lasso and then glowed with some kind of purple and green light, wrapping itself around the frost giant. The frost giant, startled by the sudden attack, struggled, but the magical rope held on.

[Iron Cage] A magical cage materialised out of thin air, just slightly larger than the giant itself, and trapped the frost giant within its massive magical iron bars. The frost giant grabbed the bars, tried to pry it open to set itself free, but with the bars strength reinforced with magic, there was no escape for the massive creature. But it kept trying, growling madly as it put all its strength into its attempt at freeing itself.

[Tranquiliser shot]

A swift flick and a large dart like projectile now deeply embedded into the giant's thighs.

With the cage and rope holding the frost giant in, Aura fired the magical tranquilizer darks at the frost giant, and hit it at it's thighs. And within a second, the frost giant's body started convulsing and then collapsed, unconscious. It kept shaking even whilst its unconscious, an aftereffect of the neural paralysis and interference.

Wololo clapped his hands. "As expected of a beast tamer, even a frost giant is no challenge."

Aura rubbed her head, a little shy at her master's praise. "It was nothing much."

[Portal]

The unconscious frost giant and it's cage disappeared, sent back to the tower's dungeons for storage. Wololo transformed itself into an equally large giant, to carry and throw the frost giant through the magic portal. He smiled at the various things he could make out of the giant's belongings, and parts.

"Let us continue." Wololo transformed back into a wolf then jumped towards a boulder that leads downhill.

"Wololo-sama, are you a shapeshifter in the world of the supreme beings, too?" Aura asked, whilst jumping behind Wololo, following his journey downhill.

"No."

"Oh... I'm sorry Wololo-sama. I'm sure the supreme being's form would be hard for us to imagine." Aura tried to imagine the kind of world of the gods, and the immense magic they would possess in that world.

Wololo chuckled. "It's not like that." He had a short flashback of the steel, iron, and glass world that is his original reality, the nanomachines and the systems.

"Do supreme beings live forever in that world?"

"No.. but we do live quite long lives." Another leap.

Their speedy trip downhill stopped at what appears to be a small lake, that's not yet frozen over by the winter's chill. Surrounding the lake was light, winter-resistant shrubs and now bare pines and maples, their leaves all fallen.

"Let's rest here?" Wololo suggested.

"Oh, I'm fine, Wololo-sama. We can still keep going, I am not tired."

"I insist. Let's catch some fish." Wololo sat on a chunk of ice by the lakeside, and pulled out a fishing rod and lure from nowhere, and quickly casted it quite a distance into the lake. He wondered whether a monster would appear, lured by the worm at the end, but then laughed at how ridiculous that probably sounded.

 _Bloop._

"Come, sit next to me." Wololo smiled.

"Oh…" Aura sat down and looked at where the lure fell.

It was quiet for a while.

"I could create a blast and bring out all the fishes, Wololo-sama." Aura suggested, perhaps a little impatient at unproductive fishing.

"Shh."

The line did not move, and they sat for another 10 minutes.

"Ask me something, Aura. Anything you want to know."

"Oh." Aura looked a little puzzled. "Anything?"

"Yes." The line still did not move. Perhaps there were no fishes in this lake.

Aura thought back to the conversation she had with the other guardians, and she somehow felt this was the right time to ask.

"Would you be going back to your world, Wololo-sama? Like the other supreme beings?"

"Hmmm..."

Aura wondered whether she asked the wrong question then, something her master was not expecting. Perhaps her instinct wasn't right, as her master hesitated a little longer.

"Honestly... some day... I would like to go back."

Aura's face visibly paled. She grabbed Wololo's arms and asked. "Why do supreme beings go back? Have we failed to be good servants and followers? Where have we failed, and we will do our best to fix it."

Wololo looked at Aura, now her eyes somewhat watery, her face a little flushed. She was like a little puppy yearning for it's master's attention, and a child sad at the prospect of losing of her favourite toy.

"It's not you." Wololo paused. "There is certain responsibilities that we have there. Things, we must do. In that world is a part of ourselves, our original form."

"Ainz-sama too?"

"Maybe? Perhaps he feels differently towards those responsibilities, and that life of ours there. I think he likes this place, and being with all of you, though."

Aura's eyes was visibly tearing.

"But don't worry. We are still here, and I don't think that day will come so soon for me." Wololo tapped Aura's head, while holding onto the unmoving rod with the other. There's still no fish. "So don't be sad. We will still have many many days together."

Aura tried to rub away her tears. But she knew now there was some truth in what Albedo told her earlier.

* * *

The horses galloped vigorously, speeding their way around the makeshift track, as if their riders seemed to ride with their lives depended on it.

"These are some of our best horses." The middle aged horse merchant bragged, his voice a little pompous.

"Are these really the best horses? They still seem pretty slow. " Ainz looked, but he himself probably could not ride such horses, as his full body weight and armor would probably crush it.

"Yes they are. Any better, you would be looking for magical steeds..."

"And why did you not provide us magical steeds? Ainz-sama would only accept the best, and nothing less." Albedo yelled.

"Uh…" The horse merchant's face grew pale. "I do not have.. magical steeds."

Ainz patted Albedo on her head. "Let us not scare the merchant, he's just doing business. Anyway, thanks for the demonstration. We'll buy 2 of them, do we have money, Albedo?"

"Yes of course. Treasurer, as you heard, please purchase 2 of these horses as Ainz-sama commanded." Albedo commanded the pair of elves accompanying them, and the elves opened a pouch filled with gold and silver coins, and handled a few pieces over to the horse merchant.

"Let's go Albedo, let the treasurers handle it." There would be the entire process of delivering the horses to the newly built stables, some paperwork on the ownership of said horses, and their pedigree. Stuff that Ainz would generally prefer to let others do for him, as it reminded him of work in his real world.

"Yes, Ainz-sama." Albedo nodded.

They left the makeshift track for the horses, and walked towards their new pier and harbour. A few ships had just returned, with their day's haul of fish from the deeper seas beyond the shores. They would often leave really early in the morning, and return by dusk, before the darkness falls. And now, on their piers, the elves and some goblin workers were carrying the crates of fresh fishes, preparing and sorting them so that the fishes would hit the markets tomorrow, for sale to the city's people.

"Glory to Ainz-sama." The elves cheered, as their lord passes by the pier.

Ainz raised his hand in acknowledgement, but mentally he was a little embarrassed.

"Is this all your doing, Albedo?"

"No, Ainz-sama. Your subjects merely adore and admire you so much that they cannot resist to call out your name."

"Is that so…" Ainz sighed, but he wasn't in the mood to berate Albedo on this small matter.

They strolled slowly on the pier, admiring the fruits of their labor. The pier is built with a mix of stone and wood, and is illuminated with lampposts with specially enchanted lamps, to provide lighting throughout the night.

 _This is quite romantic, walking down the pier with Ainz-sama._

Albedo blushed at her thoughts. "We should walk here more often, Ainz-sama."

"Ah. The view is nice." The sun was setting, and perhaps it looked like a romantic scene. Ainz was oblivious to Albedo's imagination though. She grabbed Ainz's arms like a lover, and enjoyed the moment.

"Oh… I've received some interesting news from Wololo-san. He told me last night."

"Oh?" Albedo sighed at how Ainz just broke the mood. She had hoped he would say some lovey-dovey things, perhaps recite a romantic poem or sing a love song.

"Some of his subjects within the Slane Theocracy had discovered that the Theocracy might be in possession of some powerful magical items… Those magical items might include a mind control weapon."

Albedo's face instantly turned serious, appreciating the magnitude of the news. "We should prepare a force to capture those items, Ainz-sama. Letting such powerful item go unchecked would be a risk to Necropolis and Nazarick."

"Let's not be hasty. Wololo-sama's subjects are still trying to get more details, whether they are the culprit behind Shalltear's betrayal. Anyway, this elevates the Slane Theocracy to be the most significant threat to Nazarick, and we should treat them with caution."

"Yes. Ainz-sama. Will let the guardians know, and have some surveillance and spies sent."

"Good, I knew I could count on you."

Ainz pat Albedo's head again. Albedo smiled, overjoyed to be touched by her beloved.

"Ainz-sama." A familiar voice from behind them.

"Narbarel." Ainz and Albedo turned, but Albedo shot a death stare, mentally telling her off for picking the wrong time to interrupt their private time together.

"I have reports that the adventurer's guild has an assassination order on you. Pluton-san sent us a letter, wondering whether we would be interested." She reported.

Ainz laughed. "They'd like to engage Momon and Nabe, to assassinate me?"

"Ainz-sama's decision to disguise himself as Momon is an act of genius." Albedo continued to hold Ainz's arms like a lover.

"Will you find out who put in the request, Narbarel?"

"I have already done so. It's by Prince Barbro, that tiny useless pathetic insect of a prince. With your permission, I will swiftly capture, torture and destroy him." Narbarel was visibly furious at the human's transgressions at her lord.

"Has any adventurer accepted? Demiurge's prison could use some extra inmates soon…"

"No one has accepted so far, as Ainz-sama's encounter with the human noble has created a fearsome reputation around you. Few would dare risk their lives."

"Hahahaha!" Ainz walked towards the town, and both the ladies followed, Albedo at his arms, and Narberal a few steps behind, sensing Albedo's hostile energies, and knowingly kept some distance.

"Ignore the assassination order. It won't be the last, anyway." Ainz waved at some elves that were just arriving back on their relatively new fishing boats, as they slowly approached the place where the town and pier met.

"I'll add some additional guards, just in case." Albedo said, mentally noting that maybe two Eight-Edge Assassins is too little.

"You should have some around yourself as well, since you're a public figure too." Ainz touched Albedo on her shoulder, and she squealed a little.

"If it takes the assassins away from my beloved Ainz-sama, I would gladly be your shield." Albedo beamed, "And I will slaughter all those who dare raise their arms against us."

"I'm sure you will." Ainz patted again. "Ah… Is there something planned tomorrow?"

"Yes Ainz-sama. The weaklings from the north that has come crawling for our help." Albedo said. "I don't think it's necessary for Ainz-sama to go himself and spend your valuable time with those pathetic weaklings. I'll go in your stead."

Ainz sighed. He mentally imagined what horrors his guardian overseer would do to the humans.

"No."

* * *

"Pleased to meet you, Lord Erik." Ainz offered his bony right hand and Erik promptly responded to grab it, despite how fearsome those bony, ring adorned hands look.

"Likewise…" Erik was visibly nervous, sweating and unprepared to be in the presence of an Overlord. Right before he touched those hands, he wondered whether he would be killed the instant he touched it.

They met on top of a grassy hill, outside of the town of Kest Estree. They did not want to have an undead lord waltzing about their town, as that would probably create nasty rumors and cause havoc amongst the refugees that now call the streets their homes. In winter, this grassy hill is covered in a layer of snow, and the view from there is a beautiful combination of white, snow covered hills, a lively bustling town with snow covered roofs, and the blue seas beside it.

On top of the hill was a small gazebo, with a large table carved out of stone, and 8 rocks that has been fashioned into stools. It's built here many years ago by the town far below, to appreciate the beautiful view. But in such cold, few would come visit the gazebo.

Erik came with four men, all senior leaders of their respective towns. All 4 are middle aged, with fit, muscular bodies, unmistakably selected to be the war leaders for the coming days. Their built posture was visible, even with the heavy jackets and hats they wore to ward against the winter chill. They were lightly armed, with short swords and daggers, but they all heard of the stories. Those weapons are mere trinkets, and would be useless against their undead foe.

Despite the futility of their arms, they still felt strange to not bring any weapons as protection.

"We apologise for making you come this far, and for meeting you in such a crude location." Erik apologised, realising it's probably not the best first impression against the people that would be their trump card in their rebellion against the Kingdom.

"It is fine. I understand my presence can be uncomfortable for most humans." Ainz responded, and sat himself on the wooden, old stool. It cracked a little, and he swiftly casted a reinforcement magic on it.

"So, I believe you're requesting for our aid."

Erik looked at the four other men, and they nodded. "Yes. We… will soon go to war against the Kingdom. We don't really stand a chance if we fight them on our own. And we hope you would be able to provide us with some support."

Ainz was dressed in his usual black robe, his shoulderpads adorned with various gems and magical metals. Against the white snow, he stood out like a sore thumb, unlike his white, beautiful companion.

"Tell me more of your rebellion. You can't seem to win, so why fight?"

Erik sighed. "We've been unfairly treated by the Kingdom, it's nobles oppressing us by levying huge taxes, and drafting our men for crazy wars at our crucial times of harvest. And when we had a food shortage, they did not come to our aid, and left us to starve, and die."

"Hmm.. my news says there are not many dead people though."

"We had some help from a friendly noble from the Kingdom, but overall, the deal we got from the kingdom is not favorable to us. We would rather we fend for ourselves, independent of the Kingdom's meddling influence."

"You can only enforce what you can protect." Ainz asked. "I may come to your assistance today, but in the future, would you be strong enough to resist the Kingdom's army?"

"We have men, but at the moment we have yet to properly organise ourselves and sort out our arms." Erik responded. "We need your aid to tide us over the initial, rocky parts of formally organising a resistance force, and fortify the chokepoints on our borders with the Kingdom."

"That's very confident of you." Ainz looked amused.

"It's the best shot for us, to give our people a better life ahead." Erik seemed earnest when he said that, like he genuinely did it out of good for his fellow men. There was strange admiration that Ainz felt, but at the same time, pity.

Good intentions truly isn't much without power to change anything.

"We can appreciate your motivations. So, it all comes down to mutual benefits. What can you offer Necropolis?" Ainz retorted, wondered what the latin word for it was. _Quid pro quo?_

Erik shuffled uncomfortably in his seat and looked at the accompanying beauty and the elven scribe to avoid the gaze out of Ainz's dark, empty eye sockets, watching the elf furiously writing away at parchments, eager to record down their lord's word.

"Well... in future wars, we can come to your aid." Erik himself wasn't too convinced at what he said.

Ainz laughed. What would a collection of small towns and villages in the north offer in terms of combat strength anyway. He then turned to have a good look of the town and the sea, before facing Erik.

"No treasure, or gold? No special artifacts or special materials unique to the north?"

"We have little of that now, but we can trade with your nation when things calm down."

"It seems there's very little you can offer me." Ainz's eye sockets glowed red.

"This is a waste of time, Ainz-sama."

Erik paled. The other four men accompanying him too, wondering whether death is now knocking on their doors.

Ainz internally pondered his next move, whether to ignore them, or crush them... or help them.

"Hmmmm..." Ainz sympathised with Erik's struggle, but felt reluctant to help them so freely.

He had flashbacks of how deals were structured back in the days as a salesman, when things were tough and business was slow. Here, he was dealing with a small startup that has no cash or ability to pay, but some promises of a future repayment.

"You have nothing now. But I am willing to lend some assistance, on some conditions and fair rate of payment in the future."

* * *

 **AN** : I'm back! There seems to be a lot of good new fanfics out there for overlord, which is nice!


	18. Chapter 15

Chapter 15 – The War In Heaven

"There is a war in heaven, Gazef. And we are the pawns."

"Wait a minute, what are you talking about?" Gazef looked at his now very good friend, Brain Unglaus.

"It explains everything, Gazef. Everything." There was a strange glint in his eyes, that shone in flickers, that ebbs and flows together with the tavern's fireplace.

Gazef raised his glass of ale and took a gulp. "Really? Humor me." The warrior's face was lightly tinged.

Brain then leaned in, as if whispering. Perhaps he needed to be a little closer to be heard in the loud, boistorous tavern they were in. It's a typical night in the capitol, where as night falls, the men crowd into the various taverns for a cup of ale or rum, to ward away the cold. As the men gather, they trade a few rumors, gossips and stories, no different from a gathering of housewives when the husbands are away.

"Look... I heard some stories from some traders that were in Necropolis."

"Ah huh." Gazef still wasn't convinced. There were too many ' _some people or things'_ in his sentence.

"Have you wondered why so many incredibly powerful people emerged recently? It doesn't make sense! Where are all these people from , and why have we never heard of them!" Brain was a little red in his face. "It cannot be a coincidence."

"So.. what have you heard..."

"That Ainz Ooal Gown, the Emperor of Necropolis... the stories say that he's a god."

Gazef chuckled. "Oh. I can believe that. He certainly has the power and aura to be one."

"And get this... out there, there are others like him."

Gazef almost choked on his next gulp of ale. "Ummph."

"And remember he set some weird condition that we represent him in some competition? That's not a competition at all. It is a war between gods! We just somehow tangled ourselves in the affairs of gods, Gazef!"

"Wait. Wait. You are jumping too far ahead. Slow down." Gazef did find that whole tourney thing a little strange, but didn't think too much of it, and assumed it was some kind of entertainment like a knight's jousting festival or something of that sort.

"Look. What the traders are saying is that, the gods have come to this world to fight it out. Momon, Ainz, that vampire, Sebas. I believe they are either gods or the chosen avatar of some gods, and they have come to fight out for supremacy. If the champion falls, the god loses as well."

Gazef took a gulp. And just looked at Brain in the eye for a moment. He shook his head a little, and then took another gulp from the cup.

"Brain, who the hell have you been talking to? That's pretty crazy." Gazef may have said it's crazy, but inside him, a part of him understood and believed it. _That's the alcohol talking._ Gazef thought to himself.

"You don't believe me, Gazef? How else could you explain why all these monsters appeared? This land is their playground, their battlefield." Brain's turn to take a gulp out of his cup of booze.

Gazef took another gulp, and stoned a while.

"You know... there might be some truth in what you are saying, but-"

"GAZEF-dono!" Their conversation was interrupted by one blond kid, that somehow appeared in their peripheral vision, next to the tavern's thick doors.

"Oh, Climb-kun. How rare of you to come and join us!"

"Yeah, your princess finally decided to kick you out?"

"It's not like that! She's a little restless these days, and she's not been smiling much. She looks like she's got a lot on her mind, and she asked me to give her some space."

"Couple quarrels." Brain joked. "She's giving you the cold shoulder."

"It's not!"

"Whatever you say, Climb-kun. We all know better." Brain laughed, then looked at Gazef, and raised his mug in a small toast. "War in Heaven. Think about it."

"Uh what?" Climb, a little slow on the catching the conversation.

"It's nothing. Just some gossip." Brain laughed, but somehow this laugh didn't seem very genuine.

"So... what's the princess so worried about?" Gazef asked, and called the plump tavern lady for a new mug of his favourite poison. The lady came over, took the mug, and Gazef handed her a few bronze coins to pay for the refill.

"That new country that popped up. She seems to think it's an existential crisis for the Kingdom, that our days are numbered."

Gazef laughed and said. "If that man wants us dead, we are dead. There's really little to worry about something we can do nothing to change." The mug of alcohol was clearly showing on Gazef's face.

Brain smiled and nudged Gazef, "You are taking it quite lightly."

"But mostly, she's worried about the Blue Rose." Climb too now had a mug of light ale, and he passed the tavern lady a few coins. "They set off on this expedition to rescue Lakyus, but seems like it failed, and two of the assassins now are retiring, apparently they are having some kind of traumatic experience."

"Oh? I heard about them having some leads, but I didn't know they have failed."

"Yea, the adventurer's guild didn't want the news to get leaked, as it would cause panic."

"Haha, if an undead overlord leading a nation of elves doesn't cause us panic, I doubt this news will. The people don't give a shit, only the lords and nobles, worried of their weakening influence and losing their valuable land is."

Gazef gave Brain the stare, as if he said something he shouldn't have. It's his turn to be politically-incorrect.

Climb though, took it well. "Yea, so as I was saying, only Evileye and Gagaran came back, and they only spoke a few words with the Princess before leaving the next day. Seems like they are heading out to some faraway castle in search of an old witch."

"Ahhh.. they are professional adventurers, they'll figure something out. Any idea what actually happened?" Brain was curious.

"Not really. But Evileye and Gagaran don't look too good, probably had a tough fight against some terrible monster." Climb casually remarked.

"SEE! More monsters! War in Heaven, Gazef. More evidence!" Brain almost banged the table with the mug, when he heard what Climb explained. "I'm telling you, this war in heaven thing is real. There is no other explanation for the monsters that we are seeing lately."

"Oh come on Brain. There's plenty of reasons why some people will want to kidnap Lakyus. She has the power to revive people!" Gazef shot back, his voice a little louder than normal.

Climb was a little startled by the banter between the two seasoned warriors, and could only muster out an.. "Uhhh..."

"But how many people can actually do it, under the Blue Rose's nose too! There's some God behind this I tell you, and this war is not going to be pleasant. "

"Brain, you've been drinking too much and mixing with the wrong crowd."

"Oh please, you are nagging me like my mother." Brain shot back. "There's a freaking plot right in front of your face and you are not seeing it."

"I think you take to these rumors way too easily. Traders say the craziest stories just to get you to buy their wares. What did they try to sell you, some miracle god's water that will save you from this war in heaven?"

"No they didn't! I didn't buy anything. I don't even have money!" Brain wasn't lying about being broke.

"Look, the Kingdom and the world, is always in some kind of conflict. If it's not this, it's the Empire's war. Or some noble rebellion. Or something else like the monster outbreak a few years ago. Or that massive earthquake that created a new river during our childhood years. But that doesn't meant there's some kind of war in heaven or divine plot." Gazef had seen plenty of conflict over the years, and perhaps he too wanted to believe it is all a convenient coincidence.

"Gazef, it sounds crazy that they are all linked, but I believe they are. The traders heard it from the elves of Necropolis! Apparently the Lady Albedo announced that they are preparing for war. Tell me, what kind of crazy threat they must face, for someone of their power to need to prepare for war."

Gazef and Climb looked at Brain silently, though in Climb's case, it's more of a case of being lost and out of the loop.

"It has to be someone of equal or greater power than them. You've seen it, you've felt it, Ainz Ooal Gown is no pushover, but if he needs to command an army to a war, you know it's serious."

"Fine, fine, let's assume you are right." Gazef added. "So, in this conspiracy theory of yours, where do we fit in? Why did he pick us?"

"I don't know."

Gazef frowned. "Seriously." He then pushed his mug against Brain's, and took a gulp. "Drink up, tell me when you have more of that crazy story."

Climb awkwardly laughed, and he too had a taste of the ale.

In this ordinary winter night, maybe he should just enjoy the ale. There's enough worrying to go around.

* * *

"So, we've discovered the culprits behind the granary fires." One of Erik's trusted men came in to report. Before they launched the rebellion, they wanted to be sure who was behind their food shortage in the first place, lest they walk into a trap.

"Prince Barbro? Are you sure about this?" Erik couldn't quite believe it was the Prince that masterminded such an idea.

"But why? It doesn't quite make sense. And the Prince isn't that smart!"

"The few arsons we captured said it's so that the prince would have a chance to display his military prowess and crush the rebellion. He sees the north as weak and would be unable to resist his personal army. We are his springboard to the throne, as he's a little sick of having his father hold on to the crown."

"Isn't he already fighting Necropolis beforehand?"

"Necropolis has not emerged as threat yet when this was planned."

"He's overconfident. He wanted two successive victories to firmly establish himself as the next King, ahead of the second Prince. Probably the Marquis Boullope or Count Lytton had a hand in it, since they are the Prince's supporters."

"That's mad." Erik ranted.

"We can't say much, we're thinking of rebelling, with few chances of winning. "One of Erik's advisors quipped, whilst doing a pose. "At least the Prince's army is weaker now."

Erik looked out the window, and watches the snow falls. Winter is now almost over, and the northern towns have been hastily working to stock up arms and food. This winter had been hard for them, but Marquis Raevan's food convoys have helped alot.

Erik felt a tinge of guilt of rebelling against the kingdom, even as Raevan had so generously assisted them with their food crisis. But still, too little too late, and the accumulated anger of the populace against the central governing body has risen past a point of no return. No bundle of grain, no loaf of bread, can placate the anger of a populace insulted, and degraded as being less equal to the other citizens of Re-Estize

Still, the game plan they devised has not changed by this development.

The game plan is for the North to pretend and act as if nothing has changed, and only rise once Re-Estize in embroiled in some other conflict, perhaps with the Baharuth Empire. With that moment of chaos, the North should be able to muster up a decent defence, and hopefully the Kingdom's forces will be split between a war against the Empire, a rebellion, and the manpower needs of the harvest season.

"The tax collectors are coming in early summer, when the first batch of crops are starting to mature."

"The Empire's previous war was set in summer, during the peak of the harvest. The Kingdom needs about a month to muster the forces and draft the men from across the nation."

"We should pretend to heed that draft, but all our men should head for the key choke points, and start fortifications then. We could buy ourselves a week or so during the confusion."

The northern cities, a collection of thirty towns and about 50 to 60 villages, number about 200,000 in terms of population. The largest of these, Kest Estree, is home to 30,000 people. If they conscripted every fighting age male and also a volunteer group of females, they should be able to muster about 60,000 souls, and that forms the core of their fighting force.

But not all 60,000 can be deployed in a battle, as about half will need to form the administrative and logistics force, channelling food, water, medicine, warm clothing and even the process of delivering messages and news. So, in an actual battle, about 40,000 will be actually fighting. That's a decent sized force, but the Kingdom in past wars with the Empire have mustered some 250,000 people, and that's just a fraction of the total manpower available to it.

As such, the North's defence required aggressive use of the terrain to hinder and limit the numerical superiority a counter-insurgency force the Kingdom can muster.

Such is the perilous state the rebellion is in. Every move must be done carefully, or else the Kingdom's wrath would fall on them.

"We should spread some rumors in the Kingdom about Prince Barbro's acts." Erik's advisor, Kandae suggested. "That'll drum up some sympathy amongst the southern populace, and may lead to some defections in the event of an actual war."

"Good idea, but how do we do so without getting us in trouble?"

"I'll get some documents forged, and leave them to be discovered in the towns. There are some towns that already dislike the Prince, and that should get the rumor started. The merchants and the bards will carry the story from there."

"Okay, do it. But leave no trace to us."

"If he's smart he will know it's us."

"Explain, Kandae."

"He'll probably try to shut down the rumor, and that'll probably cause him to be a little distracted and require him to spend some people to manage it, if he still wants to be King. If he tries to accuse us of attacking him, we can reveal more evidence and that will cause more attention to fall onto him."

"And why would he care about the evidence. He's the Prince! He'll just claim we're insulting royalty and should be punished by death. Whatever the populace says, they will be crushed when he is King"

"If that happens, and he marches himself northwards against us, we may have a opportunity to capture him, if he tries to march here and arrest us. He probably underestimates the size of our rebellion. If he doesn't, we have just cause to defend ourselves. Some nobles will stay out of this conflict, and that may help our odds."

"That's a little too crazy for me."

"Erik, you're willing to kill other people for the north's independence, but you are not willing to hold the 'enemy Prince' as ransom?" Kandae quipped, and another of the advisors laughed.

"Yea, if we can have the Prince, we can probably trade for a truce. Heck, we probably should start planting our men around him, so we can kidnap him."

"The Kingdom will not forgive this."

"Once this starts, we are all wanted men. There's no turning back. On your head will be a bounty, and it'll probably be worth as much in coin."

Erik looked out of the window and into the snow.

The white hills and plains will not stay white for very much longer. He felt a little sick in the stomach at what he is about to lead his northern comrades through.

Kandae and the Captain, Magni, both walked a little closer to Erik, and tapped him on the shoulder.

"Have faith, my future King. We're with you."

* * *

AN : No Supreme Beings this chapter. :)

Current "plots"

Ainz, Albedo & Necropolis

Wololo, Aura & Lakyus

Erik & the Northern Rebellion

Politics in The Kingdom - Gazef, Brain and the royalty

Anna & the Theocracy. (been neglecting this a while)


	19. Chapter 16

Spring, Y1

"Have you heard? Prince Barbro set fire to the northernlands' food store for winter."

"Does that make him, the Prince of Barbeques?" The cheeky merchant could not resist, but if any royal guards heard it he would be skinned alive.

"Well, with a little bit of coal ash on his face, he would be." His friend, a fellow merchant laughed with him.

The latest in a string on rumors and juicy gossip, and no less worrying to the second in line, Prince Zanac.

Conflict is the norm in the royal court, as everyone jostles for power. The recent failure though, has made Prince Barbro a lot more sensitive to such nasty chatter on the ground, and somehow, everyone's a suspect. As the path to the throne looks less clear for the first Prince, he reacts by clutching harder, and biting back wildly at anything that seems to threaten his throne.

"He doesn't believe that it's not your doing, the whole rumors thing." One of Zanac's supporters, a minor noble, Lord Farquhar. "He suspects you."

"But are the rumors true? Did he really set fire to the granaries?"

"We're still investigating. So far we have no clues, and I'm still trying to get in touch with my sources in the underworld."

Zanac wanted to ask something else, but then an armed guard burst through the door, and yelled.

"My Prince, there is a group of armed men coming here! Prince Barbro's men!"

"How many?"

"About thirty."

"Armed?"

"Full heavy armor, sir! They carry his crest, his black guards." Barbro kept a group of heavy armor as his enforcers, and somehow saw it fit to use it against another Prince.

Prince Zanac slammed the table and looked at the noble. "Farquhar, call in everyone you can find. How far are they?"

"They'll be here in about twenty minutes."

"This is the royal capital, and he dares do this?" Zanac lamented, his voice a little angry, and a bit shaky. "Farquhar, go!"

Lord Farquhar left immediately, and yelled once he was out the door.

The guard though, then asked, "Why not flee, Prince Zanac?"

"This is my palace, my house. If I flee, what kind of King will I be seen as? And he would then get confirmation that I am involved, since I fled."

The guard gulped, but inside the guard would have fled, and fought this war some other day.

"Is Marquis Raeven around? Go find him now."

The guard nodded and sprinted away.

"It's come to this _huh_ , brother."

Outside Prince Zanac's home was a garden, and thanks to the efforts of Lord Farquhar and the other guards, a small group of fourty or so guards was hastily assembled, their equipment not perfect, but sufficient to mount a resistance should Prince Barbro's men attempt something.

Prince Zanac then went down to join his men, gathering outside for the coming scuffle.

"They should be here any time now." Lord Farquhar too was in combat armor, and next to him, another minor noble aligned to Prince Zanac, Lord Bolgar.

From the gardens they could hear the thunderous march of the thirty or so men, their heavy armor clanking at their every step. The guards in the gardens gulped, their faces a little nervous, and their grip on their spears or swords tightened.

"Prince Zanac! You are summoned by Prince Barbro to answer for your lies!" The heavy guards of the Prince, clad in their signature dark red armor bursts through the gates. Leading them was Baron Wilmsher, a rising noble beholden to Barbro.

"You do not hurl false accusations at Prince Zanac." Lord Farquhar retorted angrily.

"If you do not come with us willingly, we will take you by force!" The Baron yelled, and the armed heavy guards enter into a combat stance, and Zanac's guards reflectively reacted.

"I have no reason to go with you, especially over an unsubstantiated claim like that. Tell Prince Barbro to come himself, and tell that to me to my face, instead of sending some upstart and a crude bunch of thugs." Prince Zanac yelled, and the two forces prepared for the word to fight.

Everyone reached for their swords, or spears.

"We have evidence that you and your men spread the rumors to damage Prince Barbro's ascension to the throne. Your men were seen talking to merchants and bards about the story, and giving bribes." Baron Wilmsher stepped a bit closer, and his group of heavy guards followed closely behind. Both parties are just right out of striking distance.

"Don't you dare raise your arms against a Prince." Lord Farquhar warned. "Under the laws, it is a crime punishable by death."

"His Majesty, King Barbro will have me pardoned." Baron Wilmsher laughed, and he took a small step forward. Perhaps there was some confidence in his heavy iron armor, or perhaps he truly believed in Prince Barbro's ascendancy to the throne, or maybe it's just madness. "There certainly won't be a crime to punish betrayal, anyway."

Zanac's eyes twitched at the mention of "King Barbro". A rational part of him tried to restrain his fury, whispering thoughts of the Baron's deliberate provocation for his men to first use their arms.

 _Patience._

There was a moment of silence, even as both sides seem a sliver away from hacking away at their opponent.

Zanac gripped the hilt of the sword at his waist, wanting to raise his arms.

The air seemed dry, and the Baron relished it, eagerly waiting for the Prince's men to attack. That would be enough evidence of crime, in their eyes. The Baron could almost see it, the garden's leaves all covered in blood, the grass filled with the bodies of Prince Zanac's guards.

"He's not King yet."

A familiar voice spoke from behind the Baron's men.

Marquis Raeven and Captain Gazef appeared behind the guards. Baron Wilmshers' men was now between Prince Zanac's guards, waiting outside the Prince's home, and Captain Gazef's warrior troops outside the gates. They carried the royal flags, signifying their orders came from the King himself.

Baron Wilmsher winced, his face contorted at the joy of fighting that was robbed from him. He'd love to get his hands on some blood today.

"And Prince Zanac, his majesty King Lamposa summons. You are expected in the Royal Hall in two hours, gather your men and make haste." Marquis Raeven commanded, in his hand a scroll with a royal seal. Somehow Marquis Raevan managed to conjure such a document in such a short time.

He then looked at the heavy guards and the Baron.

"Baron, take your men home. Prince Barbro too has been summoned for an audience with the King. Any of Prince Barbro's accusations will be addressed then."

Baron Wilmsher winced, and he glared at Marquis Raevan with hate and boiling anger.

"Please?" Marquis Raeven smiled innocently, as if the glare never happened.

"Ughh!" The Baron grumbled, and then signalled for his men to move out. They marched out of the gates, pass Gazef and his warrior troops.

"Get ready, Prince Zanac." Marquis Raevan smiled. "It's not going to be pleasant later."

Zanac somehow understood the hint, and quickly called both Lord Farquhar and Bolgar, and a few of Zanac's close confidantes. Their faces paled a little when they heard what he said, and they swiftly ran off to do their assigned tasks

"Thanks for your help, Gazef." Marquis Raeven nodded. "You best return to his majesty's side."

"I have Brain on the lookout, but you are right."

Gazef and the warrior troops rushed back to the palace, whilst Raeven and his band of retired adventurers followed behind.

* * *

King Lamposa attended the meeting in full royal regalia, and he sat on his throne, with Gazef at his side. Gazef too was clad in full armor, but not the five treasures of the Kingdom. The royal guards and the warrior troops were at the perimeter of the hall, watching over them, and there were about 20 of them guards.

Brain, although Gazef would've loved to have him by his side, is not formally a member of the guards and so Gazef asked him to stay outside the palace compounds.

It was rare for the King to be dressed this way, as it represented there was a ceremony or matter of tradition that is being carried out, but somehow, he saw it fit to wear this. Perhaps it was some kind of instinct that this was going to be a big day, and maybe, the day who will become King gets decided.

Prince Barbro and Prince Zanac both were in the hall, both in their best suits of armor, as though they too understood the gravity of today's meeting.

Behind them were their supporters and the people they have gathered to support their case. Each side brought about thirty or so men and women.

"My two sons, what is this strange story of some brotherly fighting I have heard?"

"Father, he arranged for bards and merchants to spread lies that I set fire to the granaries." Barbro started, and then gestured an old man that he brought along to speak.

"Yes your majesty. I saw his men speaking to some merchants and bards about the rumors, and even gave them some money."

"That's a lie." Zanac shot back.

"I saw Prince Zanac himself talk to some merchants in the capital. And handed them small pouches of coin."

"I'm asking them about who started this rumor."

"Then why did you give them money? You've been seen paying a lot of people."

"It's to help make them talk. No one shares information so freely."

Prince Zanac sighed, wondering how did the conversation start with such an accusatory angle.

King Lamposa intervened. "So, what did you find out?"

Barbro twitched uncomfortably.

"Most merchants get stories for other people, and they mostly passed it along. I'm still investigating…"

"You're not investigating. You are fanning the rumors to keep it going!" Barbro shouted from his side of the hall.

"Why are you so defensive, brother? It's not even proven. We'll get to the bottom of this." Zanac tried to defuse the tension, and lessen the hostilities.

"Apologies for the delay, your majesty. I have something to add as well."

The door bursts open, Marquis Raeven emerged with two beaten up looking thugs. "These men admitted to receiving money from Baron Wilmsher to burn a few granaries. I believe Baron Wilmsher serves Prince Barbro, so, perhaps Baron Wilmsher can explain himself?"

Prince Barbro glared at Raeven and the two thugs.

"That's not true at all. That's a lie! Marquis Raeven, you are plotting against me!" He roared.

"KILL THEM ALL! KILL ALL OF THEM."

And the men that Barbro brought along suddenly all pulled out their weapons and charged at everyone else in the room. One muscular, large bald man, revealed himself from his cloak, leaped high into the sky towards King Lamposa, and attempted to land a punch at the King with his tattoo-covered arms.

Despite his muscular size and large body, his movement was swift.

"Your time has come, old King." The attacker said.

And Gazef blocked the punch with his plain metal shield, and the shield shook with a loud twang and shattered.

[Fourfold Slash of Light]

Gazef slashed at lightspeed, yet the muscular man managed to parry some of them with his reinforced armband.

"Ahhh, the legendary Gazef." The man taunted. "I've always wanted to fight you, to see who truly is strongest in the Kingdom."

He closed in, and launched a few punches, and Gazef parried with his sword. "And you are?"

"I am Zero, of the Six Arms."

Gazef dodged a punch and attempted a slash at Zero's waist.

[Iron Skin] The slash hit, but somehow rather than cause a huge wound, only managed a small scratch. Zero didn't even flinch from the strike.

" _Eh, if only I have Razors Edge…"_

Zero took the chance, at the slightly surprised Gazef to land a punch at his chest, hitting squarely on his armor, and it impacted with a loud bang. Gazef probably knew he made the right choice of wearing high quality armor that day, as the armor dented a little, but he was still largely unharmed.

"That's a good punch." Gazef jumped back, trying to keep Zero away from the King, who's a little shocked from the sudden escalation into combat.

"Barbro, stop this right now!" The King yelled.

"Too late, father."

Barbro had commissioned the Eight Fingers to do his dirty laundry, and brought assassins and security forces from them to protect him and attempt to kill the King.

Gazef sized up his large, bald opponent and prepared to attack.

Zero and Gazef exchanged stares. They both weighed their options for their next strike.

But it's a trap, as it is not Zero alone that is Gazef's opponent. All of Barbro's men were aiming for the King.

"AGHHH!" The King screamed, as Malmvist, another of the Six Arms member, lunged a rapier past the other royal guards and stabbed the King in his thigh. The poison laced rapier twisted, and as it twisted, blood poured out of the stab wound.

"Your majesty!" Gazef sprinted in and lunged against the assailant, and attempted a few slashs at him, and forced him to back away from the King.

But the King is already bleeding, and the poison spread throughout his body.

"This rapier is laced with various strong poisons. Your King will not last much longer." Malmvist spoke, and smiled wickedly.

"Ugh!" The King called out in pain.

Gazef looked at King Lamposa, and realised his face was starting to lose color.

The hall was now a bloody mess, as the Six Arms were too strong for the royal guards, killing many of the guards, and more importantly, all the witnesses that Prince Zanac and Marquis Raeven brought along. Marquis Raeven's personal bodyguards managed to kept both of them unharmed, but still were outmatched and so they were slowly retreating.

"Brother! You've gone too far!" Zanac yelled, as the fighting went on, and his men tried their best to fend off the attack from Barbro's men.

"All of you were in my way." Barbro smiled. "It's a matter of time, Zanac."

The hall's walls was covered in splatters of blood, as the Six Arms ruthlessly killed anyone in their way. Royal guard after royal guard were slaughtered, their arms chopped off by the flying scimitars and the dark magic of the Six Arms.

Marquis Raeven too realised the disadvantage they were in. The few former adventurers he brought struggled to fend off the attacks from the Six Arms and the other assassins.

The King, despite the pain and bleeding, struggled and attempted to leave by the rear door and yelled. "Barbro! You do not deserve to be King!"

"You have no say, father. You have been King for long enough." Barbro smiled, his face revealing a wickedness King Lamposa had never seen. "And you're about to die."

"You... stupid... " King Lamposa scolded, but the he coughed out a little bit of blood onto his palm.

King Lamposa turned to Gazef, realising his time has come. His bleeding leg giving way, and the poison making him feel dizzy. "Gazef, go! You've served me well..." The King coughed out a little bit of blood again. "Gazef, run! The Kingdom needs you more than me.."

The King coughed out a lot of blood that splattered onto the hall floor.

"Your majesty!" Gazef parried a few attacks from Malmvist and Zero, realising that he was being losing in a 2-v-1 fight. Against Zero he was confident he could beat him, but with them two attacking together, and their goal of killing the King, he truly felt his abilities were at their limit.

[Fourfold Slash of Light]

The slashes opened up a little room for the King to walk behind Gazef, but the King knew he would not make it.

Zanac and Raeven were now forced outside the royal hall, and together with their men, they gradually retreated from the attacking thugs,

"Should we chase after them?" One Six Arms assassin asked, inside the hall where Gazef is still trying to protect the dying king, and the remaining royal guards were getting slaughtered.

"No. We have the throne." Barbro smiled. "We will say they assassinated the King. All we need to do now, is to kill Gazef."

King Lamposa collapsed, his face now blue from the poison in his blood. As his body hit the marbled floor of the Royal hall, blood gushed out of his mouth.

"Your Majesty!"

Gazef attempted to carry the King, but as the rest of Zanac's men left, and the royal guards either killed or fled, the rest of the Six Arms now looked to him, and he alone would not be able to match the twenty or so men that now wanted his head.

Within Gazef, he felt truly conflicted. His King is dead, and he failed to protect him. There was a part of him that wanted to die here, together with his King.

Zero the bald muscular warrior monk, Malmvist the rapier wielder, and Pesylian the heavy armored swordsman approached Gazef.

"Your turn to die, Gazef."

Zero, Malmvist and Pesylian all launched their attacks at the same time.

But Gazef found his spirit amidst the chaos. The King has fallen, but the Kingdom has not.

"Not today, and not to you criminals!" Gazef roared, and he parried their attacks with [Sixfold Slash of Light], his already damaged sword shattering into a few dozen pieces, as it slammed into Malmvist's rapier and Pesylian's heavy sword.

The three Six Arms took a few steps back, as the shrapnel from the broken sword flew everywhere and blocked it from hitting their face.

Gazef took the small window of opportunity, and jumped through the rear window, out into the royal courtyard, and ran.

Gazef, warrior captain. Personal bodyguard of the King.

He had never ran, and swore to never run from his duty to serve the King. He watched his King die before him today.

And he ran. And left his King dying on the hall floor.

He ran as fast as he could, and if anything, he needed to live. He wanted to live. His mind now consumed by rage, he would not let his King die in vain to the hands of criminals.

The hall is now bloodied red, the King Lamposa, his skin bluish from the poison, and blood flowing slowly out of his mouth. Dozens of bodies lie scattered across the royal hall, bodies of the royal guards, Zanac's men, and some of Barbro's men too.

All of those who opposed Barbro in the hall has fled.

Though he had not gotten to kill Zanac or Raeven, he could now crown himself King. Prince Barbro now controlled the royal palace, and believed the nobles will fall in line to serve under his throne. Zanac may resist and rebel against his rule, but he will fail. Barbro has counted the odds.

Barbro walked over and kneeled before King Lamposa's body. "You should've appointed me King years ago, and you would still live today, father." The King, barely conscious, winced. And Barbro stabbed a knife through the King's heart.

Barbro took the crown on his father's corpse, and placed it on himself, even as it had blood splattered all over it.

He smiled, the crown sat awkwardly on his head.

The remaining supporters and thugs all called out. "Long live King Barbro!"

Zero and the rest of the Six Arms then looked at the Prince, now King. "I believe we will receive our payment, your majesty?"

"You will get your money and your women, when I take control of this country as King." Barbro smiled, but the war is not yet over. Now to win over the rest of the nobles and crush Zanac and Raeven.

"The slave trade will return, as agreed?"

"Yes, that too."

"How about Princess Renner?" one sadistic looking assassin smiled. "The slave division would love to have their way with her…"

"I've got plans for that sister of mine." Barbro laughed.

* * *

"Princess! We must leave! Now!" Climb screamed, and pulled the Princess's hand.

"Yes I've heard." Princess Renner followed, and they both ran down the stairs and out into the hallway. "I've been waiting for you to get me."

A few horses was waiting with some of the other guards loyal to Renner. "Let's go we don't have much time."

They rode out quickly, out towards the highway. Right now, the capital is a dangerous place for nobles and royalty, as Barbro has quickly stationed his supporters at the key locations, and published decrees proclaiming King Lamposa's death, and Prince Barbro taking over as the new King Barbosa I. Prince Zanac and Marquis Raeven too, was singled out in the royal pronouncements, proclaiming them as guilty for assassinating the King.

Unusually, quite a few of Barbro's supporters are known Eight Fingers operatives, and Climb felt a little uncomfortable as he passed them.

It's late at night, and most of the common folk are sleeping. The city guards are oblivious to the massacre at the Royal hall in the afternoon, and all they see are large groups of nobles leaving the capital abruptly.

"Re-Lobell." Princess Renner said. "We should head there. It's nearest large city to Necropolis, and given the recent chaos there, I don't think Barbro will try anything. It's also the domain of Marquis Pespea, and he's not too fond of Prince Barbro too. Eight Fingers are a little bit weaker there as well, since they do seem to be involved in this..."

Climb nodded, and wondered what Prince Zanac is up to. The second prince leads a collection of small towns and E-Libera. a major city not far from the capitol. But it is in a vulnerable position from E-Puspel, where Prince Barbro's domain mostly lies, and the war that they all wanted to avoid is now here.

Zanac and Raeven would not take to being accused assassins lightly, and they would fight to defend themselves.

"How's Marquis Boullope?"

"He's still withdrawn in his domain, and it seems none of his men were involved in this… incident."

"What else did you hear?"

"Zanac and Raeven and retreating back to their own respective towns, and it seems they are gearing for war."

"Who else was there, with the King?"

"Zanac, Barbro, Raevan, Gazef. There's also Zanac's supporters and Barbro's supporters."

"How did the King die?"

"Not sure, but what I hear from the few fleeing guards was that Gazef was fighting one of the thugs, when another thug stabbed the King. After that the King's face started to turn blue."

"Hmm…" Princess Renner knew Gazef would be more than able to take on a few thugs, so whoever assassinated the King had to be close to Gazef in terms of combat ability.

"The ride will take about 2 days at least, Princess. Hope this isn't too uncomfortable for you." Climb apologised, snapping the Princess out of her thoughts.

"Can I get a piggyback ride when I'm uncomfortable?" She playfully teased, touching Climb's face with her fingers.

"Anything you say, princess." Climb blushed a little.

In Princess Renner's mind, she never saw Zanac as the one capable of assassinating the King, though she couldn't rule it out if it's orchestrated by someone in his camp. However, given that Barbro is the one taking over as King, it is much more likely that Barbro, given his previous links to the underworld, to be the culprit. If truly Zanac was the one who assassinated the King, Raeven would not have stood at his side, given her understanding of Raeven's character as a true loyalist to the crown.

Barbro was most likely to take some time to consolidate his power from his new seat in the capital, summoning the nobles and the generals to swear loyalty to them. He's a paranoid character, especially since the recent failures of his campaign, and will probably push for a widespread culling of those against him.

So civil war is pretty much inevitable, and if her own information sources from the North are true, the Kingdom will fracture into at least three sides.

Those aligned with Barbro, holding territories stretching from the capital, to E-Puspel, and those of Count Lytton and Marquis Blumlash. Marquis Urovana may very well decide to align himself with the new King, so that would put 3 of the nobles behind him.

Zanac and Marquis Raeven would be another camp, holding the lands of E-Libera and the northeastern territories. Marquis Raeven's considerable military might and strength of his domain would mean Zanac has a decent fighting chance. They would likely not accept Barbro's ascension to the throne, as their lives would be lost if they did.

Marquis Pespea has ambitions of being King of his own, and may very well take the opportunity to split from the Kingdom. Marquis Pespea and Barbro's relationship has been hot and cold, he may stay out of this, but he isn't too fond of Zanac either. He may choose to wait till the last minute before choosing which faction to support.

It is Marquis Boullope's role that is uncertain, given his recent change in character, preferring to devote himself to the fulfillment of the Kingdom's responsibilities to Necropolis as part of the peace treaty. He holds the largest standing army of all the six nobles, and has the best trained force overall. Whoever he chooses to support will very well be secure as King, and Barbro would probably try to sway him to his side.

If Barbro really did use the Eight Fingers in taking the throne, it is likely he would commission them to assassinate Raeven, Zanac and Pespea, and they would need to hire equally skilled men for protection.

"Eh, Climb… what happened to Gazef?" If anyone could go toe-to-toe with the infamous Six Arms, it would be Gazef.

"No one saw what happened to him. He was at the King's side till the very end, but no one knew what happened after that..."

* * *

"Where are we headed?"

"Necropolis."

"Wait what?!" Brain yelled, as he rode alongside Gazef.

"If I want to avenge the King's murder, I believe only Ainz Ooal Gown-sama will be in the position to help me."

"You are asking an undead to help you avenge the King's death."

"..." Gazef was at a loss for words. Perhaps the sudden assassination of his King shocked him so.

Brain still kept riding alongside Gazef. "But hey, I trust your instincts. Let's see what Ainz has to say about this. He may very well ask us to bugger off and sort out our own business."

Brain looked at the bloodied Gazef, his armor and clothes still soaked in the blood of the many royal guards that fell alongside him. The stench of death that surrounds him lingers like a persistent admirer, and perhaps Gazef wanted to that way.

Brain sympathised. _He's really taking it badly for failing to protect his King. What good is being the strongest in the Kingdom, if he fails to protect his King when it matters._

A while ago, Brain was resting in the Gazef's home when he heard screams in the air and the loud noises of a fleeing band of nobles. He saw Prince Zanac and Marquis Raeven, all fleeing via horseback with their men, all covered in the usual signs of combat, with blood splats across their clothes and cuts all over. There was distinctive, familiar smell of fresh blood as well.

He then headed towards the palace, and saw Gazef running. It's strange to see him run, but Gazef then called to him.

"The King has been killed."

Those words coming from Gazef was surreal, and sudden. But Gazef never joked about such things.

"We need to get out, now."

"Okay…" Brain wasn't sure how to react, but he's going to roll with it.

"The King is killed by Prince Barbro's hired assassins. He's working with the Eight Fingers."

It's tough on Gazef's personality to fail his beloved king, and truly if he could avenge him, he would. To ask for help from Ainz reflected how powerless he felt.

"Hopefully he'll see us then." Brain lamented, but still riding alongside his slightly hurt friend.

* * *

Within a week, the news spread across the entirety of Re-Estize, and the boundaries of power redrawn.

"How's everything, Renner?"

"It's fine, Marquis Pespea."

Renner's placed in a small spare room for guests in the mansion that Marquis Pespea calls home. Marquis Pespea had earlier married Renner's elder sister and was quite fond of King Lamposa.

It's a simple room, but in times of chaos, it's more than she could ask for. It's a temporary escape, and Renner foresees herself having to move soon, if the flames of war starts to spread closer.

"Prince Barbro's sent a few envoys over today."

Princess Renner listened intently.

"He wants me to acknowledge him as King, and also hand over Princess Renner."

"Have you agreed?"

"Still weighing my options."

Climb looked worried, and he reached for his weapon.

"But no need to worry, Princess Renner. I will let you leave, rather than hand you over."

"Thank you." Renner understood that Marquis Pespea may allow them to "escape".

"Your other brother, Zanac has started raising an army to march against the capitol, together with Raeven. It's quite unlike Raeven to march against any King…"

"Are you asking for my views, Marquis?" Princess Renner abruptly interrupted the Marquis.

The Marquis Pespea stopped and laughed. "Yes, yes I am. I hear from your sister that you are quite smart. Quite a waste, since you are nowhere near the line of succession…"

"And my efforts are wasted with Barbro being King, as he will soon unwind all of my policies."

Climb looked out of the window, and took a look at the sea. Here, winters are mild and life generally still goes on normally. Now that spring is here, the farmers and foragers are out in full force to start their planting cycle. There is peace here, as their distance from the capital affords it some buffer from the intricacies of court struggles.

To the ordinary peasant on the farm, the man on the throne has never really mattered. The life on the field is always tough, and the kings and nobles take whatever they want. It is how the world has always worked to them.

Climb looked at the Princess and her brother-in-law, Marquis Pespea, still discussing the news and changes in the political landscape.

Marquis Pespea inherited his position after his father passed away, and somehow managed to gain the hand of Princess Renner's elder sister in marriage, elevating his kin in status, to that of relatives of the royal family. As such, in disputes he has traditionally took the side of the royals.

"Climb, we should go soon."

"Huh?" Climb got knocked out of his little daydream. "Yes, Princess." Saying yes to the Princess is almost second nature, instinct even, and he rose up to assist the Princess.

"Take good care of her. My wife will be sad if anything happens to her."

"Yes sir, I stake my life on it." Climb responded, but he wondered how is Princess Renner's sister like. Do they really have a sister-like relationship, given how complicated royal families seem to be?

The small entourage prepared themselves to leave ReLobell, and head to a smaller village nearer to Necropolis, where the presence of skeletal dragons would naturally scare away a fair bit of Prince Barbro's men from looking too hard for them. The lower amount of merchant traffic and adventurers too would help prevent themselves from being spotted and captured.

* * *

"Get out."

"This is King Barbro's orders, sir."

"Get. Out."

"But Marquis…"

Boullope reached over to grab the messenger by his neck. The messenger and Boullope exchanged glances, and the messenger saw madness and insanity in those eyes. It's been slightly over a week since Barbro took the throne, and he wanted the nobles on his side.

"King Barbro will not take this lightly…" The messenger threatened.

"I have stared into the eyes of the death god. I fear no mortal king... or _pretender._ "

Marquis Boullope stared, and the messenger felt a cold sweat run down his cheek.

"So, get out before I have your head sent back on a wheatbag."

The messenger gulped, and once the Marquis loosened his grip he ran out, as fast as he could. In the room with the Marquis, the other advisors gulped as well.

"Boullope…" One advisor wanted to share his thoughts.

"If you agree with that bratty prince, get out."

The advisors were silent. They have seen a massive change in their lord since his Necropolis expedition. Their proud, loud, arrogant liege transformed into a quieter, brooding but more frightening lord.

"My lord… they will wage war on us."

"I know."

"But he will not stop there."

The advisors were silent. This was a new part of their lord, a more careful, forward looking side that they had not seen before the expedition. The Boullope that used to just stuck to his ways, now transformed into someone that explored a few steps ahead.

In fact, the number of advisors around him increased twofold, as he demanded for more plans, more organisation structures.

"Barbro's ego will lead him to eventually attack Necropolis. He will not let a failed expedition go, and will try to 'correct' it."

Boullope seemed to shiver when he mentioned that 'N' word.

"And our peace treaty will be broken."

The advisors now saw why Boullope rejected Barbro's command to acknowledge him as King. Preservation of the peace treaty with Necropolis seems to be Boullope's new entire purpose, and he organised the advisors along the requirements of the treaty. Even if the entire Kingdom fell into civil war, Boullope's domain will continue to hold up its end of the bargain for the Kingdom.

Its a sin that Boullope determined himself as responsible for.

"Get fifty thousand men ready for war. Do not draft anyone working on the mines, the smiths, the farms or the horse husbandries. Also, do not move anyone from the border patrols."

The advisors all bowed in acceptance.

"Yes sir."

Boullope then walked out of the room, into the training yard where his sons are practicing combat by sparring with their combat instructors, using heavy metal rods.

Two of them, in the mid teens plump from a life of excess, spending their father's wealth. Historically, Boullope has led them do whatever they wanted.

But now, they were harshly beaten. The instructors were explicitly requested to give no quarter, and be ruthless.

And so their body now, covered in bruises all over, with a priest keeping watch to heal them, so they could continue with the training even after the injuries.

"Father! Stop this already!" One of the sons called, as they saw their father approaching. "This is a joke, right?"

"Stop." Boullope ordered, and the instructor obeyed.

The son smiled, happy to have the punishment stopped… Or not.

Boullope grabbed the rod from the instructor.

"I will be your instructor." Boullope swings the rod at the son, and the son struggled to parry. The force at which Boullope swings the rod still pushes the son to lose balance and he trips. "Where did you get the idea this was a joke." Boullope smacks the rod into the son's upper arm, and hitting him.

"Father! Why!" The son looked bewildered, and in pain.

"I will have you sent to Necropolis as offerings if you do not learn to at least fight properly." Boullope swings the rod at the fallen son, and the son struggles to block the overhead strike.

The two rods vibrated on impact.

The other son, who watched Boullope smack his brother, ran over and attempted to swing his rod at Boullope's head.

"Weak." Boullope grabbed the other son's neck before he could complete the swing, and slammed him into the ground. The other son screamed in pain.

The advisors and instructors could only look, a little bewildered at how Boullope behaved now.

"When did I have two such pathetic sons?"

The two sons cried. After a life of luxury, they were unprepared for such harsh training and torture.

"In this world, the strong will always oppress the weak." To those who don't know better, it seems as if Boullope is implying he is strong. But Boullope said it, because he knew he was the weak, the oppressed.

The sons still cried.

"Instructor, continue the lesson."

He would not let his children be as weak as he is.

* * *

Another chapter without the Supreme Beings.

The next chapter is on the battles of the fractured Kingdom :)


	20. Chapter 17

Happy New year! :)

* * *

 _Spring Y1, the Northernland campaign_

Forests were cleared, and trenches were dug. The first of the fortifications were built along the southern borders, were the Northernlands meet the main central plains of Re-Estize. Here, where the mountains meet the plains, is a place where Erik hoped to build fortifications to deter the south.

Its a rush at this time of the year, with the beginning of the planting season and thawing snow making construction a little harder, but they did not have the luxury of choosing.

King Barbro, or as he styles himself, King Barbosa, had commanded the north acknowledge him as King. Logically, the North refused. In a time of civil war, this was the best chance they had to strike it alone, without the Kingdom. And so the new King, retaliated angrily, and commanded Count Lytton to march an army north to crush the rebels, as he always wanted to.

It is never a good time to fight a war, but Erik was more comfortable to fight a defensive war now, when the two princes are occupied in their fight with each other, splitting the number of men available to Barbro to send towards the Northernlands. And with less men, a sliver's chance at victory, and a path to some form of permanent statehood appeared.

Thirty thousand Northerners, in a defensive war against fifty thousand, Erik wagered they still have a decent chance. The drafted men would be exhausted, having to march up north, and the cold would take some getting used to for the enemy's army. It is time, for the north to pull it's forces together and mount it's first defense against the South.

Magni said, partly whispering to Erik. "I don't like owing that undead fella anything." They inspected the goods shipped from all over the northernland towns and cities to build the fortification and stock up the armory.

"Me too." Erik nodded, while he inspected some carts of weapons being pushed through to the front lines. After that, a cart carrying wooden spikes meant for the outer walls passed by.

"But somehow the timing sure is working well…"

"It's sure awfully convenient for a brotherly quarrel to happen." Magni laughed, and a few of the other men next to him laughed with him. "Those royals in Re-Estize just care about themselves, and so they miss the forest for the trees!"

But their laughter was cut short.

"Erik! Bad news. A group of robbers attacked our stables and stole our horses!" A fellow rebel ran over, panting.

"How many did they steal?"

"About one hundred of the horses. They fled into the high mountains!"

"What happened to the guards?"

"Killed, most of them. Some managed to escape, they say they looked like some kind of cult members wearing hoods and had weird masks on. The dead had their bodies sliced from strange angles, and some stabbed in the back."

"Any idea who?"

"Not sure…"

Magni looked uncomfortable, and then signalled some men over. "Go investigate." He then turned to Erik, "I'm going to assign some guards to protect you. I don't feel too good about this."

"No, we need all the men to build the forts. It's probably just some robbers who wanted to sell the horses for money."

Magni wanted to argue, but he gave up. "With a 100 horses gone…"

Erik mumbled, lamenting the hit it meant to the cavalry force. The northernlands did not have many horses suited for battle, so their cavalry is small. Losing 100 horses is nothing for the Kingdom where the vast grasslands support a huge population of warhorses, and that puts them at a tactical disadvantage.

"Split up the horses. We can't lose that many horses again. Break up the cavalry groups to smaller teams." Magni suggested. "If they get stolen, it won't be that many horses together."

"Aye Captain." But both Erik and Magni knew it was too little, too late. No matter how they try to protect their remaining horses, the fact remains that they do not have many horses at all.

Erik looked at the makeshift camps that house their rebel army. Some forty thousand men gathered to fight for their independence, but he wondered how well their rank and file understands why they are rebelling. Maybe they just follow whatever their town chieftain says, as such is the order of their feudal society, or whatever the nobles decreed.

Count Lytton's army should arrive within a week, but with the nation now splintered, the supply lines should be relatively thin and weakly protected. So the south cannot afford to wage a long battle, and they would probably hope for a swift resolution to the rebellion.

"The scouts say the army is moving in two groups, the first group about twenty thousand, and the second about thirty thousand. About 2,000 cavalrymen, armed with both spears, and ranged weapons, most of it attached to the second group."

The fortification is mostly a mix of wood and earth, and the strategy is to stall the close ranged fighters while the arrows and spears try to kill off as many as they could.

"With the lost of the 100 horses, we have about 800 cavalrymen." Kandae joined Erik and Magni in the fields, and looked at the smoke far off in the distance. It seemed to suggest an enemy encampment, an intentional signal by the enemy army that they were nearby.

"But let's worry another day. Get some food at the mess hall, Erik. Some of the men that arrived want to talk to you too." Kandae tapped. "They want to hear from you personally."

Erik nodded, and together they walked into the makeshift mess hall where all the men came to eat. There was an exhaustion in everyone's eyes, from their long journeys from all over the northernlands, their spirits uncertain of their future. War is coming, and not many wants to fight wars. After annual wars and drafts by the Kingdom, there's a buildup of combat fatigue. The men just wanted peace.

He walked over to some and started to chat.

"Y'know Erik… how many will die in the coming fights?" A young man asked, worried of the days ahead.

"Many." Erik didn't felt appropriate to lie. These were adults, and they are putting their lives on the line for their cause. "And it won't be the last battle either. There will be many, many battles until we win."

But he could still be hopeful.

"Many here just want to be left alone, to live their daily lives. But here we are, fighting another battle."

"Our usual daily life is gone, my dear friend. Not with a madman at the throne, who plotted to kill us so he could be King." Erik knew it was true. Barbro was no saint, and life under Barbro in the Kingdom would only be worst. "So fighting is our only way forward. If we win, we will have peace again."

And the mess hall rings with the roar of a warning horn. One blow of the horn, signalled the enemy was 3 days away.

"They are coming soon." A men said, and his face was a mix of fear and excitement. Some men were eager to give the south a piece of their mind, some just fear the deaths that will soon come.

Everyone else too started rising up from their seats, finishing whatever food on their plates, and left for training. In a few days, when the horn blows three times, they, the men of the north, would take their arms, and head out to battle. Not everyone whom they shared a meal with, would return for their next meal. What was once a full table, will become emptier.

Erik said a few prayers along the way for the safety of his men, and for victory, while he still sat on the table, and then left for the war room to meet the rest of his captains.

He hoped, and prayed, that all he and his team prepared for, will be enough to win the battles of the days ahead.

* * *

 _Spring Y1, E-Libera, Zanac and Barbro_

The first battle between the two brothers was lost by Prince Zanac.

Barbro marched a significantly larger army onto the battlegrounds a few days west of E-Libera, and as the battle went on, the odds slowly tipped against Zanac. It seemed like Zanac's army would be crushed in the battle, but before the battle could be decisively won, an unusual occurrence of a heavy storm allowed his army to retreat from the losing battle and back to his city, for his men to lick their wounds, and prepare for their next battle.

Despite the constant rain and heavy wins, Zanac and his commanders tried his best to muster the men to fortify the city, and build up a temporary wall to stop the marching army. The siege to come, would very well be their decisive fight, and Zanac could not afford to lose. He would be nothing without his own main city of E-Libera.

Many of the citizens of his city are fleeing, and chaos descends on what looks like a coming bloody war.

"Run! King Barbro's army is coming!"

"Can we just surrender?!" Some wanted to just capitulate. "The city is not well fortified at all!" E-Libera's fortification is light, unlike that of E-Rantel, due to it's privileged position far inland of the Kingdom, away from the usual battles with the Baharuth Empire.

"They'll slaughter us anyway!" Some feared. "He will suspect all our loyalties, so he'll kill us too."

When the news broke of the retreating army, many fled. Some were stunned, not knowing how to react to the news, and E-Libera being a relatively peaceful city that never experienced sieges in recent years. Some just acted as if life was going on normally, because they honestly did not know any other life than being in their city.

Despite the first defeat, the army that Zanac gathered manage to regroup and toiled to fortify E-Libera into a city that within a few days, now somewhat looks a little like a fort. Every stored artillery, ballista or long range cannons they have, is now mounted on newly constructed wooden platforms or stone buildings near the city's borders, aimed at the general direction of Barbro's army.

In the main battle room, Zanac met with his advisors to discuss their plans for the coming siege.

"Prince Zanac, the rain is still ongoing, and Barbro's army has yet to march on rain is delaying them more than expected, and reports even say there are minor flooding along certain parts of their path."

Zanac nodded, internally relieved that the weather is siding them… for now. At times, he wondered whether this was the god's blessing, that his men managed to escape that losing battle earlier.

"What about our reinforcements?" Zanac referred to Marquis Raeven who went to his own city to raise another army, and gather the support of neutral minor nobles.

"Raeven's still putting together whatever men he can find and trying to march them towards E-Libera now. But he doesn't have much to spare, after whatever he garrisoned that is already with us. So he could only raise about 10,000 or so men."

"No matter. How long before they get here?"

"About 2 days… Hopefully the rain holds them back for a while more. With Raeven's additional forces we could win the next fight, or they could help to break the siege."

Lord Bolgar then walked in, one of his legs amputated, so he struggled in with a crutch. "Prince Zanac…"

Lord Farquhar moved over, "Bolgar, how are your injuries."

"Lost a leg." Bolgar seemed unfazed, perhaps a little annoyed that he had to answer something that is so easily visible. "But alive. The battlefield is muddy, and their siege weapons will find it harder to move in such terrain, so for now it should be out of range."

Farquhar went over and tapped the wrappings that covered his amputated leg, and Bolgar winced. The two had known each other since the younger days, growing up as fellow young nobles.

"But I had a strange feeling out there, Prince Zanac. Something about that storm isn't normal..."

Zanac turned and looked at Bolgar, who led the front lines during the first battle with Barbro's forces. Bolgar realised what he said sounded awfully stupid, perhaps a little superstitious.

"Oh never mind, Prince Zanac. We should figure out how to take out those siege weapons."

Barbro's army numbered 60,000 men, whereas Zanac raised an army of 20,000, and Raeven sent over another 25,000, and during the first battle, it seemed some 10,000 of their men died. Bolgar had estimated Barbro to have lost about 8,000 to 10,000 men, putting the revised count at 50,000 men on Barbro's side against 35,000. If Raeven could later arrive with 10,000 or 15,000 men, they would be relatively even in terms of men, though in terms of equipment they would still be behind.

If they went to battle in an open field at this moment, in sunny weather, they would be lose, as Barbro had the numerical advantage, and better equipment overall, courtesy of his control of the royal armory in Re-Estize.

"This rain is good for us, Prince Zanac. Bolgar is right, sire. Maybe we can mount a sneak attack and sabotage the ballistas and catapults?" One of the captains serving in as Zanac's retinue went on to describe how with the use of the city's stock of alchemic powder, and a small squad of infiltrators using some of the Royal Army uniforms retrieved from the battlefield, they could sneak to the siege weapons and blow them up.

"That's a good idea, sir. It's very bad if we let them get close to our city walls. Our walls will fall apart with those siege weapons. Take it out, then our ballistas can keep the pressure on their army and give us some advantage."

"Are you confident?" Zanac was doubtful in his heart, but perhaps he was wishing for a strategic lapse in Barbro's camp. Though he knew Barbro isn't much of a strategic planner, he had the support of the Marquis Blumlash and the Barons and Lords on his retinue who possess better strategic vision.

"Yes, we will take them out." The captain seemed confident, and answered.

"Very well. May the gods' smile upon us today." Zanac nodded, a little unsure of himself.

The men then bowed and withdrew themselves from the room.

"I wonder what's Barbro plotting. Plots aren't usually his thing…" Zanac wondered aloud, his body arched over the table, looking at the map of his town and the little dolls representing Barbro's army in the distance.

Zanac sipped the cup of water in his hand, and Lord Ambrose, another of the Lord's in Zanac's struggle, entered the room.

"Barbro may have assassins around here." Lord Ambrose was clad in full armor, and seemed battle ready. "My dear Prince, you best be in your armor as well. Though we may seem safe in this city, we never truly know when someone creeps up on us."

"Yes." Zanac then grabbed the chainmail on the chair and put it over his body. Flashbacks of watching King Lamposa being assassinated somehow crossed his mind.

Ambrose too then looked over the map, and wondered whether there are others looking at them in the room.

* * *

Over at Barbro's encampment on the hill…

"What are we waiting for?! We have been waiting for this rain for days!" Barbro was losing patience with the tactical decisions of his commanders, choosing to wait out the rain.

"The rain got too heavy, and it's starting to wash away some of the bodies. The men could barely walk, and we spotted some cannons in the distance." The army captain, dressed in the royal arms of Re-Estize answered, hoping the long answer would convince the new anxious King.

"It's just a few cannons, we have way more people than them! Just charge at them!" Barbro seemed a little bewildered at his men's cowardice.

A large, muscular and fearsome warrior looked at Barbro, and next to him, even the new King looks small. A minor Lord with a lineage of great warriors and strategists of the Kingdom, he led the vanguard in prior skirmish, but commanded the men to make a retreat once the rain got too heavy. Perhaps the King didn't expect the muscular man so large to have so little courage.

He didn't seem too keen on explaining why he commanded the men to fall back. "It's a trap, my Lord. Zanac wants us to give chase and for us to get in range of the city's cannons and ballistas. The rain and the mud makes it hard to dodge any arrows, rocks or spells they can throw at us from the walls. They must have planned this!"

"So what if it's a trap! I'm not waiting here and let them wait for reinforcements! Raeven is raising another army as we speak! We have more men! Just send them in and crush them before Raeven gets here!"

Barbro was technically right, as with their numbers, they could close in.

"Yes. Once this rain stops we can move in quickly." The rain outside though, didn't look any bit like it is giving way. The sky was dark grey and greenish, and the winds roared so much, that even heavy tipped arrows get redirected midair.

Another captain, the leader of the siege weapons seemed hesitant to agree. "The siege weapons can't move so quickly in the wet ground! We shouldn't split the army and the siege weapons, we'll be defenseless! If anyone tries a sneak attack, we'll lose our siege weapons." The captain implored.

"Split the forces, and lead one team to charge in. I am not letting Zanac have the luxury of fortifying his city. The other team will stay back and escort the siege weapons." Barbro commanded.

The captain seemed hesitant, not too eager to have the forces split. "It might be a trap. They might want to split us up."

"I am the King, my word is final, Captain!" Barbro shouted, and the captain nodded hesitantly.

Barbro looked over the map of the city of E-Libera, with little wooden figures representing where Zanac's men were fortified, and where his own army was. He had heard words from that Boullope's army is approaching the capital, and he was pressed for time. His commanders wanted to wait, but waiting meant Boullope's army gets nearer each and every day.

"The emissary we sent over to meet Boullope…" An advisor spoke softly, but couldn't continue.

"That idiot. I knew something was wrong since the day he betrayed me during the Noble's meeting." Barbro smacked the table, and looked at two of the Eight Finger operatives in the camp. He did not forget the slight the Prince suffered when Boullope supported the ceasefire with Necropolis. "Have your men infiltrated E-Libera? What's going on with your assassins? Losing their touch?"

"Yes… but Prince Zanac is very well protected. A few of Raeven's personal guards are at his side at all times." The dodgy looking operatives stated, his face covered with tattoos on one side, and amongst the nobles and the army captains, he stood out like a sore thumb. Then he flashed a wicked grin, "But the Six Arms will get to him."

"They better, or you are not getting any of that money, or a return of that slave trade."

The two Eight Finger operatives looked at each other, wondering whether they should've just killed Barbro instead. But it's a thought they entertained momentarily, as Barbro is still a useful ally in restoring Eight Fingers to its glory days. Zanac on the other hand was less willing to work with the Eight Fingers, preferring to retain control via conventional means, so Barbro still had great value in legitimising the Eight Finger's vice trades.

"Yes, your majesty." It's a trained skill, after years of telling lies and working with people they don't quite like. "The Six Arms will get to Zanac."

Barbro turned back to the captain, and grabbed him by his shirt. "I don't care how many people die, or how big the rain is. Go out there, and get the men marching, or I'll have your head chopped off."

The Captain's face contorted, but he gave in. "Yes… As you command." The Captain walked out into the rain, and commanded the men to head for E-Libera.

* * *

 _Northernland campaign_

The war room's walls are bare, and simple. Hastily converted from what was once the dining room, it has a table large enough to fully lay out the map of the entire northernlands in sufficient detail. Here, the brains of the north get to work, processing intelligence reports from scouts stationed all over the border, and then they craft the defensive positions to be taken. With their numerical disadvantage, the northernlanders needed to be strategic about troop placement.

It's usually very noisy as Erik's chain of command would be busy discussing the latest progress from the Kingdom's advances, especially with the recent movements by the new King Barbro.

But despite the horns outside, it was an eerie silence in the room, broken by a scream when Erik stepped through those doors.

"Erik, run!" An injured subordinate yelled, his body bleeding as if impaled by a various knives. Around him was a few other of Erik's subordinates, but before the injured guy could continue talking, a floating scimitar stabbed him at his neck, silencing him.

Erik's heart skipped a beat...

... and the door shuts behind Erik.

"You're pretty handsome. I like mature men."

Erik turned and saw a lady with floating scimitars around her. She had long black hair and features that hinted at a somewhat Persian heritage. The floating scimitars all dripped of blood, and were made of some kind of black metal, and they orbited the lady like a protective ring.

"Kinda sad I have to kill you."

"Who sent you." Erik withdrew two daggers from his pockets, and attempted to defend himself against the 5 dancing scimitars.

"The Prince, of course. Oops, I mean the new King." The lady quipped. "I'm still not used to referring to him as a King."

The scimitars left their orbit one by one, and they flew at high speeds towards Erik, spinning and slashing the air.

He parried. And parried again. But as more and more scimitars surround Erik, his holes in his defenses started to bite, as they slashed, and cut.

[DANCING BLADES]

The lady, Edstrom of the Six Arms, smiled. Erik was an adventurer, and his skill with his weapon shows in that he still managed to block a few of her scimitars, but he was nowhere near her level. Once all the five scimitars flew around him, Erik started getting cuts and his wounds began to bleed.

Erik tried to block the scimitars, but the 5 scimitars was too much for Erik to handle, and a few deep cuts landed despite his dodging.

[IRON SKIN]

[BOOST]

Erik tried to protect himself, but the enchanted scimitars still cut him easily, and remains outmatched by the lady assassin.

"Urgh…" Erik's movement became more sluggish, and gradually he's taking direct blows from the flying scimitars. Each time, a bit more blood splattered, and his reaction slowed.

And then his time came.

"Die." And the scimitars impaled Erik through the heart, one from the front, and one from the back. Blood then splattered out of his body, and he collapsed onto the cold floor.

Edstrom approached the body, and stabbed a scimitar through his neck. More blood poured out of the wounds, and onto the floor.

The General of the Northernlands, has fallen.

* * *

I rewrote this chapter so many times. So frustrated at it XD


	21. Chapter 18

Sorry I'm away for so long. Been hooked on a chinese xianxia/wuxia light novel.

* * *

Chapter 18

( _during the first skirmish of Zanac vs Barbro_ )

Necromancers is the magic of death, and the un-death. The very nature of it, means there must be some kind of death, where the physical body's life force converts itself into something else.

"It's working as we expected, Wololo-san." Ainz smiled, a distance a way of the battlefield where the two princes went to their battles. He looked at the long, spear-like item, with eight protruding rods placed on the ground. It looks a little like a lamppost, with a glass sphere on the top, but with more sinister intentions.

It started off initially empty, but as the first battle went on, within the glass sphere, there was a gradual dripping of a dark greenish substance, that seemed to be harvested via the rods. With more death and bloodshed, the dripping became a small constant flow.

Wololo was in his usual werewolf form, but his bottom half was like a tree, with its roots too embedded into the ground. "But only with you around to protect me, while I'm defenseless, dare I try something of this scale."

[Dungeon Master]

As a dungeonkeeper, Wololo possessed the ability to exchange his mobility and lose the ability to use Super Tier, and Tier 8 to 10 spells, to temporarily take control of his surroundings, and make it into a "dungeon", in the typical RPG sense. In Yggdrasil, that meant Wololo took a percentage of all gold, experience and even items that was earned in it, and had the ability to control the spawn of monsters and terrain effects in the area he controlled. Of course, he had to be protected too, since if enemy players killed him, all the gathered gold and experience becomes a reward to the killer.

In short, Wololo became the raid boss. It's a suitable roleplay, considering Heteromorphs were the type of race players played to indulge in the fantasies of being a raid boss.

In actual gameplay, being immobile is a huge sitting duck, and allows enemies in the dungeon to spam AoE or ranged spells without worry, so the skill rarely sees use it the times of Yggdrasil.

Still, it was one way to take control of ambient and natural energies, and channel them into the spherical glass container, using the elemental control of Wololo and Ainz's natural skills as the Master of Death to guide the dark energies, and ensure they flow correctly into the sphere, condensed into the magical essence of pure death.

"It's halfway now." Ainz still looked at the rod that now is half filled with the essence of death, harvested from the dying men in their violent battle of each other. It it the power of a lich, a necromancer,

Both Albedo and Aura was in full combat mode, Albedo in her heavy armor, and Aura in her best ranger gear, and around her a few of the summons, a large frost wolf, a few primal elementals. No defensive precaution was spared, as Cocytus and Demiurge was nearby surveying for potential threats to their Lords.

The rain too, using Mare's elemental powers as a druid, to create a thick illusionary fog around the supreme beings to mask their presence, and ensure that the battlefield remains well within the range of their supreme beings.

"How could I resist?" Ainz smiled. "To collect death energies on this scale."

Though Albedo earlier suggesting just releasing the guardians on the humans, and killing all of them swiftly, they decided against it as they both felt this was not the right time to reveal the extent of their power, or the presence of so many guardians to the human world.

But the issue of killing too many at one go if the guardians started the slaughter, was that the harvesting of dark energies had to be done gradually, like double-boiling chicken to get the essence of chicken. The rods that harvested them energies, was limited in capacity, and killing too many, too quickly, would cause the rods to overflow and not be absorbed into the container.

The glass sphere was now almost full, and by their count, the energies of 15,000 dead were gathered. It had a faint white and yellowish glow and at irregular timings, sparkles with a plethora of colors.

And the last drop fills the sphere, and the rod trembles violently.

"Wahhhh…" Ainz felt powerful just grabbing the rod, it's energies resonating to the Overlord's presence.

"That's good enough for today. Mare, please make it rain heavier, and flood some of the battlelines, so that the two forces split up?" Ainz commanded. "Don't want all of them to die before we finish a second round of collection."

"Yes sir!" And Mare started chanting, changing the weather as he went on. The dark skies become even darker, with strange thunderings even.

With the rain heavy, and the two armies as expected started to split, and those of the younger Prince retreated back to the city of E-Libera.

"Want to try out the energies?" Wololo smirked, cancelling the [Dungeon Master] skill. The bottom half of his body that was like a tree, started to shrink and pull out from the ground, and the roots transformed back into his legs.

"A Level 75 ghost dragon, is possible with this." Ainz looked, a little bit excited at the prospect of creating permanent undeads of that power level in the New World. The eight protruding rods that once pierced the ground now collapsed into a single rod, like how a closed umbrella. At the tip, the spherical container of dark energies.

Ainz's bony hands grabbed the sphere, and with a light squeeze and turn, the sphere came off the rod. Wololo then passed an empty sphere to replace it.

"But maybe not today. Keep this back in Nazarick." Ainz passed it over to Shalltear, figuring her undead levels to be the best suited place to store a battery of death energy. Shalltear nodded, and a large [Gate] opened over all of the guardians and the two supreme beings.

All that's left, are a few ghostly wraiths patrolling in the skies...

* * *

The siege on E-Libera was about to begin. Barbro's men marched through the rain that was gradually dying down, and though slow, they were making progress.

However, that also meant coming into the range of E-Libera's defensive weapons, and rocks, large bolts and arrows rained on the marching army. And with each bolt, a few men would be knocked out. But Barbro had more men, and he didn't care about the lives of the simple soldier.

So die they did.

The battlefield was Barbro's army ominously approaching, whilst the ballistas and archers tried their level best to keep them away.

But too many.

There was just too many of Barbro's men.

They tried, but the walls were soon the only thing that kept the two armies apart.

"Hmm, their siege weapons are not here yet. Does that mean our men are successful in their attack?"

"That's good, we can hold onto the walls abit more before descending a street battle." The defenders used long spears, hot oil and even rocks to attack the men that are now swarming outside the walls.

Some of the invaders brought makeshift stairs to climb the walls, but few succeeded initially, as the defenders were still able to kill them or knock them off. But the invaders threw javelins and spears, and every now and then they hit the a defender, and taking them out.

And gradually, an opening appeared for the invaders, and once they successfully scaled the walls, it became a slugfest.

With their larger numbers, the invaders gradually overpowered the defenders on the walls, and forced the battle into the city streets.

At this point, many of the city streets are deserted. Civilians have fled to the nearby hills, or some have decided to hide in their homes, hoping for the battle to pass. The defenders formed defensive lines along the streets, while the invaders manage to successfully force open the gates, allowing more of the invading army to push into the city.

"The numbers look pretty even now, Zanac… Reports say there are still some forces at the back, guarding the siege weapons that are gradually drawing closer."

Zanac wasn't pleased by the assessment. He had hoped the ballistas and the walls give his men an edge, allowing his men to push back before the remaining parts of Barbro's army arrives. But now the situation is a lot more perilous.

The streets close to the walls and the invading army, the area near the gates, all descend into a chaotic mess, as the defenders try to fight off the invaders.

"We… should leave E-Libera, Zanac." Lord Farquhar suggested. "It's better if we retreat now and regroup with Raeven's men, rather than lose here. With the fighting relatively even, "

Zanac smacked the table.

"No."

They were based in a fort in the middle of E-Libera, with a great vantage over the city around it. From it, they could see the army's movement, how Barbro's offensive line looked, and how it looked.

Beyond E-Libera's walls was a big patch of flatlands, farms and fields used for farming. Now its a field mostly covered in Barbro's army, like a swarm of ants. Behind the fields was a large patch of land covered with light vegetation and bushes, but now is drenched in blood and the bodies of the battles the days prior.

The rain was clearing, and sun started to shine through the cracks in the sky.

And in the distance…

"Oh no, the siege weapons are here." Lord Farquhar lamented.

And then rains of fire started.

Truly, Barbro didn't seem to care that his men were in the city as well, as the siege weapons rained fire on the city.

"Fire!"

The somewhat cloudy sky soon had streaks of burning projectiles flung towards E-Libera.

And they exploded on impact, in a burst,splitting the broken but still burning projectiles everywhere, and the some of the buildings started to catch fire.

The fire spread quickly, as more and more of those projectiles landed on the city, starting new fires, whilst reigniting those that were slowly dying off.

The city, that was chaotic, quickly became a fiery inferno of death.

"Zanac. We must go. I've signalled the men to retreat, and regroup elsewhere, rather than fight this battle."

"This… this is unacceptable."

"You can say that all you want, but Barbro won this battle. Live, and take your revenge another day, Zanac."

"Damn you, Barbro. Damn you." Zanac followed Lord Farquhar out the door.

The siege cannons started their barrage, and the fort that housed them started getting bombarded with the projectiles.

 _Dummm~ Dummm~ duummm~_

The projectiles pounded the fort's stone walls, and each time the fort shook a little.

Prince Zanac, Lord Farquhar and a few guards rushed to escape the fort before the bombardment destroys it.

 _Dumm~_

A projectile smashed through the fort's walls, causing the walls to explode and scatter the rocks in multiple directions, and some of the hit the Prince, causing him to fall, and then pinn his left hand in the rocks and collapsing rubble.

"ARGHHH!" Lord Farquhar and a few men tried to free his hand.

 _Dumm~_

Another projectile smashed into the fort, and they could hear the loud explosions.

 _Dumm~_

The fort shook a little, and the roofs seemed to have small rocks fall out of them. It wasn't going to last very long if the pounding continues.

Lord Farquhar looked at Prince Zanac apologetically. "Sorry my prince." He withdrew his sword, and slashed Prince Zanac's pinned arm, severed the arm from his body.

"ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH" The prince collapsed, fainted from the sudden pain and loss of blood.

"Carry him."

* * *

The city was engulfed in flames. The defenders started retreating, when Lord Bolgar sounded the horn that marked a retreat.

When the horn blared from the top of those forts, the citizens fled, rushing through the rear gates of the city. The defending army too, tried to retreat. But with the fires surrounding them, and the barrage of the siege weapons relentless, it felt like they were trapped.

And so some captains amongst them decided to just stand and fight.

A gust of wind blows through the city, a regular feature of a city built near the fields and plains. But now with the rain gone, the wind fanned the flames of destruction, twisting the burning houses into pyres, a tornado of flame.

"Do we stop here, since it's already full?" Aura asked, and looking at how most of the defenders have fled, it seemed there wouldn't be much left to fill another flask, unless they somehow engage in another round of battle.

"It's enough." Ainz smiled at how well everything went. It seems it wasn't as difficult as he imagined, to guide these countries into some kind of conflict.

Wololo was in his tree-form, his roots gripped the rod that allows the death essence channeled by Ainz-sama to flow from the deaths in the area under the effect of the "artificial dungeon" into him, and then into the spherical glass container. Though rooted into the ground, he could still turn around to look at Ainz, Albedo and Aura.

"Let's go." Ainz then turned to Wololo, who wasn't reacting, "Are you coming, Wololo-san?"

"I'm planning to do some experiments, you can go on ahead."

Wololo smiled, and somehow it was one of the strangest smile the guardians have ever seen.

Ainz smirked, he had seen that smile before. "Have fun." And he warped away, back to Nazarick.

* * *

E-Libera was in flames, and bodies drenched the ground with blood. The invaders killed, and killed. Some looted whatever they could, and some grabbed and raped. Screams, yells and shouts could be heard in all directions.

"Stand and fight, you scums! Stop running and supporting that spare." The invaders screamed and commanded the fleeing forces, ironic considering they are probably equally scummy.

Then, suddenly the earth shook.

The tower in the center of E-Libera collapsed.

And from that tower, a shockwave spread throughout the city, causing each and every building along the way to collapse.

In less than a minute, the entire city was flattened, and everyone in it could not even stand up, as the shaking became increasingly violent.

"What's happening." Barbro looked from a distance, shocked.

The advisors were silent. They had no clue what was going on.

"Call back the army."

"They… can't move." Even from their position, some distance away from E-Libera, the shaking was increasingly violent.

The earth started to crack and buckle, and in an instant, huge vines and roots emerged from the ground, like a kraken emerging from the sea depths. Large, dark green and brown in color and covered in thorns, they appeared across the entirety of E-Libera,

And they stabbed every single living human in the space of E-Libera, and in an instant they became mindless puppets, their brains linked to the vines.

At the core of it, in the central tower, a tree sprung forth, growing rapidly, its branches sprouting and splitting every couple of seconds. Flowers and leaves appeared at every second, representing each and every person killed by the vines.

In less than half an hour, E Libera is no more, and is replaced by a massive tree that reached the heavens, it's vines spread across the entirety of the battlefield, and those unfortunate men and women caught in it were absorbed by the tree as nourishment.

They walked in a daze to the center of the city, their bodies linked to the roots on the floor.

At the center, once they were next to the tree, they disintegrated into some kind of essence and merged with the giant tree.

Barbro's army, was dead. So was most of the E-Liberians who failed to escape. Only those who stood at the sidelines, watching from afar, could see it.

The bombards, blasted the shreds by deflected projectiles. The fleeing men, unable to outrun the swift stab of the endless vines. As the tree grew, so did it's range, and Barbro watched as his entire invasion force collapsed before him.

In horror, Barbro's advisors fled, fearing the vines that seem to get ever closer with each passing moment.

"This…" Barbro could not describe what just appeared. One of Barbro's confidantes, pulled at Barbro's arm, and yelled.

"Your majesty! We must flee!"

Barbro couldn't answer, but somehow his instinct to run kicked in and he too ran for the horses, and fled as far as he could.

In an hour, the entirety of E-Libera and it's surroundings returned to an eerie silence, with only the occasional rustling of the vines and leaves.

"Worked better than expected." Wololo smiled.

The New World retains most of Yggdrasil's magic system, but at the same time there were certain things that were unique to the New World. Martial arts was one, and the writings on the Wild Magic too suggest that there is an alternate magic system as well. But another thing that Wololo's observations of the Theocracy, was that there was a way to amplify magic, by way of either having multiple people cast together in some of ritual, like how the priests were able to work together to summon higher level creatures than they were normally able to.

On top of that, the New World also opened up the ability to spend more MP than the required amount to "boost" the effect of any spell, a skill that was only available to certain types of mage classes back in Yggdrasil. Combined with a store of magic essence, that greatly amplified the effect of the 10th tier spell [Daemon Tree Prison].

* * *

Long Author explanation : Magic theory and the background of how I view the Supreme Beings

I view both Momonga and Wololo as different forms of a "Raid Boss" or a "Final boss".

Ainz is the supreme undead of incredible magical power, the sorcerer supreme of death. His status of the Leader of the 41 (42 in my fanfic) is evidence of his master-mind like ways, despite his personal lack of self esteem. He's like Sephiroth, or like the final boss. Incredibly(x 9000) powerful.

Wololo, is the crafter and dungeon master, who lurks in lairs with traps, and summons all sorts of creatures. Creates weapons, and all sorts of items that the minions then use to wreck havoc, but ideally, prefers minions to do his bidding. The player, in a strategy game of managing dungeon (with an epic tech tree). You don't summon the dungeonkeeper all the time, though he drops gifts to help your quests along the way.


	22. Chapter 19

Hi Guys :)

* * *

In what is best described as an instant, the war entered a quiet moment, as news of the recent events spread throughout the Kingdom of Re-Estize, and beyond. The death of the northerners' de facto leader, Erik, should have resulted in an easy victory for Count Lytton's army. Yet at that moment, Barbro commanded all of them back to the capital, feeling a little insecure with the tiny amount of survivors that all no longer had any will to fight.

At first, it was bewildering for the northernlanders to stare defeat in the eye, and then escape. They even thought the Kingdom's army lost their balls. Then the news of the slaughter of E-Libera broke, and horror was all they could process.

So the story goes, that the Tree of Death was seeking blood, it bloomed when enough blood stained the lands. Though irrational, it captured the minds and imaginations of the people, and many turned to the temples for solace and protection.

"Be good and donate to the church or the Tree of Death will skewer you." was a saying some opportunistic clergymen quickly adopted, as their coffers filled with the donations of many.

The population of the surrounding towns panicked, and even in the capitol, a few days away by horseback, fear proliferated. Men who once willingly went to war for glory and honor were horrified by the stories of the survivors, the deaths of the thousands skewered alive by roots and branches.

"The tree of death." It came to be known for the very macabre display of corpses along its edges.

"The apocalypse is coming." The servants of the Empire shuddered, stories of a vast city engulfed became the whispers of every bar and tavern. With fear, came wild imaginations.

"This is the sins of the Prince Barbro and Prince Zanac who refused to coorperate and rule the country together! The gods are punishing us for our stupidity!"

"This is the sin of blood, when men go to war, enough blood will trigger the tree of death."

"The end times are here!"

The Theocracy refused to comment, but behind the scenes their priests and cardinals scrambled to run through the ancient writings left by their Gods, to make sense of the 'Event'. But their silence, as the 'authority' on religion in the human-lands, only amplified and allowed the rumors to spread and evolve.

Trade routes and merchants were the first to attempt passing through E-Libera, but it was very swiftly rerouted, as the sight of bodies stabbed by branches and roots were displayed at the Tree's periphery, a macabre mark of its violent birth, left a lasting horrifying mark on the merchants who passed there, many whom quickly spent a lot of money at the temples and churches for purification rituals. The corpses, merchants reported, still seemed alive, their faces still constantly contorting and seizing up in bursts. Even in sleep, some still have nightmares of the breathless, voiceless wails.

Though their faces seemed alive, they are but a shell, a husk sucked dry of its life force.

It took about a week before the Theocracy could puzzle together a response, a joint statement of its five public cardinals.

" _The incident at E-Libera is taken out of the secret scriptures of our Six Great Gods, and in it, they wrote, "The Kingdom that is corrupt, unjust and embroiled in civil conflict will soon be punished."_

 _So, the Theocracy says this is a punishment from Great Gods for the decadence and incompetence of the Kingdom's ruling families. The Theocracy strongly urges the Kingdom of Re-Estize to relook at its administration and policies, as to avoid further punishment from the Great Gods."_

"Bullshit." Marquis Raeven ranted. The Marquis is a well studied man, familiar with the scriptures of the Six Great Gods. He also knew what they said, wasn't in it. The scriptures themselves was nothing but a short list of rules that bound the Six Great Gods, a code of conduct.

Still, the population believed them, and so the populace throughout the nation were empowered to call out the acts of their rulers, citing divine punishment. Even the soldiers and guards, some of which were religious, took their side. With Prince Zanac nursing his wounds, and his men still recovering from the war, they were in a bad position.

If they were in a war now, they would be swiftly crushed. Thankfully, the capitol was in arms too. Daily protests against the "King" Barbro, as many women and children screamed at the inner city gates.

"Return my husband that you sent on your blasphemous war!" A religious woman yelled, "You earned the ire of the gods, why did you have to drag my husband into hell with you!"

An old man would weep and wail at the doors, "My son! You have unknowingly sinned for following this foolish King!"

Before the incident, these people would be swiftly dragged to the guillotine for lese majeste. But times and the mood changed.

Despite King Barbro's commands to pacify the protestors, it seemed even his closest men were reluctant to obey. Many of his inner circle were with him when the Tree burst through the grounds of E-Libera, and many now have secretly turned against him, pushed by the propaganda that the Theocracy peddled. Seeing the Tree, one could say they have turned religious overnight.

And the newly converted believed it with zeal.

The beneficiaries of this, was mainly the church, and the faction that stayed out of it.

Boullope's army of 50,000 men was marching for the capitol, when the fastest riderse came with the news, the tree of death. It was then he called off the expedition, and he said to the close generals around him.

"This war is not ours to fight. Let's go back." Though his generals protested, the changed Boullope had a strangely keen instinct for death, a gut feeling to gnawed at him, and whispered that the gods were meddling their fingers, and mortal men like him had to stay out.

And indeed, Boullope's decision then became wise in retrospect, as his generals and his men hailed him as a wise man who knew how to avoid god's punishment, or else the Capitol would suffer the same fate as E-Libera.

It was a strange thing, for some of his advisors. The Lord whom their citizens so feared, now became the wise Lord who turned their men back from their foolish ways. Yet, Boullope did not relish his new found popularity and perceived wisdom, and instead told his men to spread the word that :

"The treaty with Necropolis is our number one priority. Break it, and we will face consequences far worse than E-Libera."

The Theocracy too benefited greatly, as new converts and donations soared overnight. Migrations too increased, as humans left their Kingdoms for the Theocracy, for fear of future divine punishment.

Behind the scenes, the Theocracy had many unanswered questions, and secretly, an expeditionary force was assembled to investigate the Tree of Death.

* * *

Six were sent.

They left in the cover of night, and went ahead with the fastest of their horses and mounts. Led by Narud Hid Kalmu, a retired Black Scripture member.

They had a few goals in this expedition, first was to establish what is the "Tree of Death". They knew nothing of the Tree, and its presence shattered all illusion of their dominance in the world. Second, was to find out who was behind it, if someone was behind it. Lastly, they wanted to see whether they could reverse engineer or control the Tree of Death.

Narud is an old man in his sixties, serving as 8th seat of the Black Scripture till he retired some twenty years ago. A man focused on ranged combat, and magical spells, he was judged to be the best fitting for their mission.

With him was Brosa and Hundra, both masters of the Earth magic and druidic spells, Bodum and Gandra, both retired warriors with a chequered history of battles, and lastly Raddia, also a former black scripture member focused on the secret dark necromantic arts.  
Bodum and Gandra's role was more of bodyguard, their protectors as the rest attempt to figure out what the Tree of Death is.

The expedition had to be done quickly before adventurers or others attempted to infiltrate the Tree of Death, and taint the site, making the task harder.

And they were there.

"Wow. It's more gruesome than the news described it." Raddia quipped, admiring the wall of twitching corpses. "I'll… take the rear guard."

"Fine." Narud nodded, someone had to do it. "So, how do we get to the main tree, fly in, and through these thick woods?"

"I suggest we walk. It'll let us know what's on the ground, and both of us will be looking for clues on the sort of magic used to summon such as monstrous creation, and whether blood magic had any part to play in it."

"Let's go then." Narud commanded, and the rest nodded. Raddia followed a little to the back, admiring the scenery. "I'm sure some crazy bunch of adventurers would have tried to head in already."

Bodum and Gandra took out two large axes, and they started hacking their way. The first initial hit was a little suspense, as they wondered whether they would trigger a defensive reaction when they slashed off the wooden branches that blocked their path. To their relief, nothing happened, and a short wait later, they started hacking.

Narud, and the Druids were using all their scouting abilities, attempting to decipher and make sense of it, but their detection failed to pick up anything. Raddia, on the other hand, kept a distance from the 5, and seemed a little distracted.

The Tree is centered at where was once the Central Tower, and its branches, roots extend all the way to the outer walls. It's as if an entire forest popped up in an instant, and in doing so, it slaughtered everyone.

"The trees have some faint magic to them, but we can't seem to make out the details." The druids commented, their palms touching them. "There seems to be some kind of pulse, that moves from the outer rims into the center. With this, we should know where to head."

"That's… not good." Narud sighed, he checked his weapons and made sure everyone is fine. "It also means the Tree, whatever it is, knows we are here. We best be ready for combat."

The druids nodded. "It's all part of the larger thing…"

Raddia, a distance away, nodded. "No worries, with so many corpses, I can take on whatever the tree can throw at us."

"Good, we'll need that sense of security." Narud nodded, and moved on.

A while later, about half way to the central tower, the Druids stopped. "It's strange. This was once the entirety of E-Libera, yet the ground looks like everything has been forested for ages, as if it never existed."

"If the Gods is sending a signal, that only means they wished the Kingdom does not exist."

"Let's move on."

"It's awfully silent.." The druids observed the unnatural trees, their blooming flowers and dark green leaves, all stained with fresh blood, and the rotting flesh of human corpses. The pulsing was stronger, and they were headed in the right direction.

From the holes in the canopy they could still see the large tree that loomed over them like a giant, and certainly feels like it is staring down at them.

"The bodies are all untouched. Seems like probably nobody has came in yet." Bodum took a look at a body that happened to lie on the floor, his chest impaled with a giant root, that looped around his chest before headed into the earth again. The coins he held, the weapons he had, all were left untouched. If such a corpse was out in the open, it would be gone within a day, ransacked by passersby or bandits.

"The fear of the gods is a good thing." The druids added, believing it is the presence of the gods that scare foolish bandits from attempting anything.

Narud sighed, he never was that much of a believer, despite being so deeply entrenched in Theocracy hierarchy. But he knew what to say in front of those who believed.

"Let us go-" Narud threw a knife into the darkness.

But it hit nothing.

"Let's go. With haste." Narud was uneasy, and activated a few defensive skills.

They hacked through the thick overgrowth of branches and roots, and then they reached main tree, where there is a small clearing in the immediate vicinity of the giant tree trunk.

"Hello. I see I have visitors."

They turned to see a large masked man with a jet black flowing robe, standing next to the giant trunk.

Narud was quick to draw his weapon, and was ready to strike at the smallest trigger.

"Who are you?" Narud's voice was slightly threatening.

"I am Ainz Ooal Gown." The man responded, his voice deep and powerful. "You are?"

Narud scrambled to recall their briefing on Ainz Ooal Gown. He was described by the Theocracy as an upstart ruler that established the elven city of Necropolis, and dabbled in the dark arts of necromancy, summoning Skeletal dragons. If anything, it suggested this man is proficient in magic, but they had utmost confidence in their own ability.

"Did you make this?" Narud asked.

"No." Ainz replied coolly.

It was then Raddia arrived, together with a few other robed men, and an army of skeletons. Narud turned, his face a little shocked at what Raddia brought along.

"Raddia, what's this?!"

"The Black Studies just decided that this was a matter that is related to our great God Surshana. So we have some backup."

"Oh?" Ainz looked a little amused.

"Mortal, I suggest you leave this sacred lands." Raddia commanded. "This tree shall serve as a fitting altar to worship Surshana's greatness."

"Oh?"

"Do not challenge the power of the Theocracy!" Raddia yelled.

Ainz looked at Narud, and then back at Raddia.

Narud was bewildered, this wasn't what the cardinals instructed. "Raddia, I'm in charge here."

"I'm not challenging your authority, I am asking this visitor to go, or we will kill him for his sins of tainting this potential holy site. This may be the rebirth-"

"Raddia!"

"Ah!" Raddia stopped, and Narud turned to face.

Ainz looked at the expedition members, unmoving. Inside, he wasn't sure how to respond to their insults.

"So, get out before the might of the Theocracy's Black Studies descend on you."

Ainz didn't respond, as he was trying to remember what Wololo said earlier. _What was it about these people again…_

"Are you too stunned and afraid of the Theocracy to even respond?" They laughed, and they started some odd ritual, summoning skeletons from the surrounding corpses.

The skeletons emerged, some 50 of them, and they marched towards Ainz, wielding whatever weapons they had on their body, or wooden branches, or some other bones.

The skeletons closed in on Ainz, and attempted to attack. But their attacks somehow never hit.

Ainz tapped lightly on the skeletons with his fingers, feeling a little amused, and they disintegrated to dust.

"What?!"

Narud took that chance to leap in with his two daggers, charged with magical energies. It stabbed into the darkness that is Ainz's chest, but he quickly sensed something was amiss.

Normally, when a dagger pierces a body, there would be blood, some kind of jerking, some kind of recoil. A sensation that the dagger registered and is effective. Yet, here he was, feeling… nothing.

Narud looked up to meet Ainz's eyes. "Oh? What are you doing."

That very moment, looking at those eyes, he felt the entirety of his skin curl, a cold bolt of lightning ran through his body. There was something very, very wrong. Something he didn't comprehend.

 _[HIGH TIER NULLIFICATION]. All attacks below level 60 are not effective._

Still, he couldn't believe it, and attempted to force the dagger through anyway. Yet… nothing. AS much as he tried to push, as much magic power he flowed into it, nothing.

"Narud, what are you doing!" Those watching wondered why Narud was playing around, but they did not comprehend what he experienced. The voices of his compatriots however, was sufficient to break the disbelief, and Narud quickly retreated.

Bodum and Gandra summoned their most powerful weapons, and prepared to strike.

"Bodum, Gandra, wait." Narud commanded. _Something isn't right here._ "We might be fighting an illusion."

Raddia laughed. "Illusion? Have you gotten mad, old man?"

Narud lived to his old age, owing partly to his keen sense of danger, and at this moment, it was ringing and screaming at him. Narud knew he wasn't an illusion, there was a real presence to the man before them, yet could not explain how did his attacks yield no effect.

Ainz looked at his arms. "Illusion?" These new worlders were not making any sense. But he was getting fed up with their antics.

[Greater Sleep]

A haze-like smog filled the entire area. In an instant, everyone collapsed.

 _That's easy. Now to call in-_

"Not so fast!" Raddia and the other Black Studies agents rose up, in their arms all holding a glowing purple crystal, each containing a higher level summon.

 _Ah darn, these guys are necromancers, they have status effect resistance!_

"You dare challenge the Theocracy! Infidel!"

[Summon: Undead Greater Wyrm] The orbs glowed, and all of them combined to form one giant Undead Wyrm, made of all the bones and corpses in the immediate vicinity.

 _Hmm, this looks about the level of a Death Knight…_

"Haha, are you afraid now, mortal? Death is coming for you!" Raddia boasted, his eyes a little mad.

The Greater Wyrm took a few steps towards Ainz, the earth shook with every step.

"Ugh…" Narud stood up, the effect of the Greater Sleep dispelled by the shockwave of the Greater Wyrm's steps. "Greater Wyrm!"

Ainz looked quizzically at Raddia and the rest of the Black studies, then at the other sleeping expedition members. The Greater Wyrm, at best, is about level 50.

The Greater Wyrm towered in front of Ainz, but did not attempt to attack.

"Crush this foolish human. How dare he challenge the disciples of Surshana, the God of Death."

" _Ainz-sama, perimeter secured, long distance surveillance jammed. They have no means of escape, and no one can see us." Aura and Mare spoke through a special secure channel._

"Death comes for you, foolish mortal." Raddia and the rest of the Black Studies laughed.

Ainz grinned, he was waiting for the Guardians to confirm everything is fine, while they focused on him. As a precaution, Ainz assumed the Theocracy have seen him in his mask before, back when the Sunlight Scripture first made contact with him, when Nigun the was under some kind of long distance surveillance.

Now he had no longer need to hide his true power.

"You think you are the masters of death?"

The undead greater wyrm suddenly froze.

"You think you know the true depth and power of necromancy?"

The greater wyrm glowed in a faint red color.

 _[Control Undead] A passive ability of a undead Elder Lich, amplified by the Overlord of Death's passives_

Ainz stepped forward, and the Wyrm lowered it's head and let Ainz step on it. The wyrm's bones could not bear his weight, and cracked a little, but it endured the damage, to let it's new master walk.

Raddia, Narud and the Black Studies disciples were stunned. Ainz soon came within arms length of Raddia and the disciples.

"I, am the Overlord of Death." Ainz unmasked himself, revealing his skeletal face. Along with it, he unleahsed the full power of his Despair Aura I to V, sweeping through the entire area.

In an instant, all of them lost their strength to stand, and collapsed.

Raddia's face turned ghoulish pale, and could only mutter under his breath.. "Sursh… Surshana…." And then he collapsed.

Ainz looked around at all of the combatants that had lost their will to fight, and grinned. They all had lost consciousness, overwhelmed by Ainz's domineering presence.

"Send them to Neuronist. We'll get full details of who attacked Shalltear soon enough." Ainz commanded, and the Guardians, along with a few NPCs appeared. Then, a squirrel ran down from the Daemon Tree, and perched itself on a rock next to Ainz.

"Went as planned, Ainz-san."

"Went as planned, Wololo-san."


	23. Chapter 20

AN : Apologies, been writing and scrapping parts of the story.

* * *

"Demiurge."

"Yes, Ainz-sama." The devil bowed, his right hand to his chest. "What is your wish today?"

Ainz looked around the throne room. Sebas is handling some chores on the 9th floor, Cocytus is overseeing some constructions at the lizardmen lakes. Albedo's in Necropolis, though she would return shortly to Nazarick. Mare and Shalltear is still working on some tasks related to the Coliseum, and Aura's in Wololo's tower, training some humans.

"Did we gather anything useful?"

"Yes, milord." Demiurge smiled, the interrogation went smoothly. "I believe the culprit is an item called 'Downfall of Castle and Country.'

Ainz laughed. "Ah!" Memories of that World Class Item flooded into his mind.

It's an item that changed hands frequently, because as World Class Items go, its' fairly weak in that it could not break the game rules that much, though it was incredibly useful in raids. The limitations were that because players were actual people, the world-class item's effects generally did not last very long, allowing a player to take control of another player for a fixed duration, and even then, to the player-being-mind controlled, it was as if they had an out of body experience where they could not control their own character. But once the mind-controller were killed, the player would then regain control over his own character.

"I really don't remember who had the item though." Ainz sighed, lamenting his rather poor memory. "Do they have any other?" If he remembered who last held the World Class Item, he could have a better assessment of their strength.

"Yes, there are other "Supreme Treasures", as they referred to it."

"But are they world class items?" Ainz sighed, if it was Punitto Moe, he had tabs on where each and every world class item is rumored to be.

"Unsure, Ainz-sama. We would have to inspect them up close to know the true nature of their power."

That was something he wanted to avoid. Scouting has risks both ways, and if they get discovered, it maybe Nazarick that ends up letting out its secrets.

"I see. We couldn't infer much from their explanations?"

"These mortals do not know how to fully utilise their items." Demiurge smiled. "They-"

The door swings open loudly.

"Oh my dear Ainz-sama is back to Nazarick!" Albedo burst into the room. "Shall we spend some time in the bath today?"

Ainz had a cold sweat. "Not… not now."

"Someday then!" Albedo smiled, "I'll take that as a promise to me, Ainz-sama!"

Ainz regretted not responding more firmly, but thankfully, he did not have to continue this somewhat lewd conversation.

Demiurge, sensing the discussion straying off, quickly shifted the conversation back on track. "Ainz-sama, what do we do about these fools who dare cross us. We have our culprit, the Slane Theocracy."

He spoke with great seriousness, and Albedo understood that this was an important discussion.

"What's new, Demiurge?"

"Yes. The Slane Theocracy is the one that holds the World-Class Item that is able to mind control Shalltear."

"Good. We know who is responsible. When do we kill them?" Albedo asked, after all, this was an attack against Nazarick, and made her beloved Ainz-sama fight one of their own.

"I believe the culprit is already dead, from her rotting wounds. Shalltear managed to inflict lethal damage using her Javelin."

"That news should delight Shalltear." Albedo smiled, "At least even as she fell to the enemy, she managed to kill the culprit."

"The Theocracy has access to revival magic." Demiurge quickly cut off her somewhat celebratory statement.

"Then let us kill them all, and destroy the corpse as well." Albedo protested. "A lesson must be taught, to the fools that dare crosses Nazarick and sully the name of our great Ainz Ooal Gown. I suggest we deploy our own world class item and rain death and fury on them, with the combined might of Nazarick's undead armies."

Ainz hesitated, _what's stopping them from using it again to mind-control the attacking force_. So, if an offensive is launched, it should comprise of a small group, using whatever world-class items to protect them from the effects of the mind control. A full on attack will alert everyone of their presence, and it would be something he would like to avoid. He needed to keep some cards close to his chest, save some trump cards for whatever this new world may throw at them in the future.

This is not just a single game of winner-takes-all, so such aggression, though most impactful to establish their might and warn everyone else, also tells potential enemies all they need to know about Nazarick's strength.

"We can wait for them to be more vulnerable." Wololo appeared, in the form of a gigantic spider crawling down the ceiling of the throne room. He descended on a large silkish thread that he created from the spider's lower abdomens.

Demiurge looked up, "Oh, you are here too. Are you suggesting we set some kind of bait, Wololo-sama?"

"Why did they target Shalltear? Do we know whether they intentionally targeted Shalltear?" Albedo asked.

Ainz laughed. _"That's a good question, Albedo."_ He didn't consider whether they intentionally targeted her, perhaps the assumption has been that it is intentional and they are facing a threat.

Demiurge smiled, "From what little the victims know, no. They were actually headed elsewhere when they bumped into Shalltear. A force within the Theocracy called the Black Scripture is tasked with wielding the "Downfall of Country and Castle", and they were to engage with a Dragon called the Catastrophe Dragon Lord."

"A dragon lord!" Ainz's eyes glowed.

"So it's a coincidence that Shalltear was on their path." Wololo's eight legs curled up around the silk web, hanging upside down.

"Coincidence or not, they should know better than to cross our path." Demiurge said.

"A bait with similar strength should be enough to lure it out, then." Albedo deduced, and if she was not mistaken, dragon lords mostly range from Level 50 to Level 80, though incredibly powerful ones could go up to level 100".

"Oh. That's true, faced with a strong enough threat, they will probably feel the need to use this power again."

Ainz tried to recall various tidbits handed down by his guildmates, but then he thought of the Dragon Lord. "So… do we know what happened to the Dragon Lord? Is it still there?"

"It seems he is resurrecting soon." Demiurge said, "But we do not know anything more at this time. It seems the information comes from an oracle within the Slane Theocracy."

"Oh..." Ainz sighed.

* * *

"Narud?"

"Huh?" Narud groggily replied, still struggling to open his eyes.

"Narud!"

Narud woke up in what looked like an operation room, filled with all sorts of equipment. Overlooking him, are three priests, each a member of the Theocracy's healing team.

""What… what happened."

"We'd like to ask you that."

Narud attempted to remember, but somehow he couldn't. Its as if his memory was all a haze.

"How.. how long have I been out?"

The three priests looked at each other. One mumbles and whispered to the other, and they looked at him again, lifting his arms, attempting to feel his pulse.

It was then, Raymond Zarg Lauransan, the Cardinal of Darkness came in.

"Narud, how you feeling."

"Uh… Cardinal Raymond." He attempted to bow in a sign of respect ot the cardinal who holds a superior position.

"What happened to the rest of the team?"

"I… I don't remember."

Raymond gestured to the other three priests, and they casted some kind of spell on him.

[Divine Confession]

"Do you remember what happened to the rest of the team?" Raymond asked again.

"I… I don't remember." Narud repeated, he genuinely did not remember a thing. All he remembered was entering the forests, as he quickly explained afterwards.

"So… you don't remember walking all bloodied back to the Theocracy's camp, alone?"

"I did that?" Narud couldn't believe he actually walked out of the forest and to the camp.

"Yes."

"How?"

"Don't ask me that. We want to know what happened in that forest. Our surveillance was interrupted the moment you went inside."

Raymond then whispered to the priests, and they whispered back. They both had a serious look on their face, one of worry and one of deep thought. There were too many questions about his abrupt and lonely return.

Raymond looked at Narud again. "Rest. We'll keep you under monitoring for a while, so you'll be in these chambers for at least a few days. Sorry we had to do this, old friend."

Narud nodded, he understood the protocols of the Slane Theocracy, and he was a former member of the Scripture as well. They soon left the room, and he was locked up. The room itself too had layers of magical restraints.

Raymond stepped outside and looked at the three priests. "How did he come back? What happened?"

"We don't know, Cardinal. His body is fine…"

"Keep him under watch. Record everything he says and does, maybe the memory will come back to him in bits and pieces."

"Yes."

Raymond sighed. He ordered the mission to investigate the Tree, as it was surreal and unexpected. The Theocracy monitors all major battles in the region, keeping tabs on the military strengths of all the nations. The recent rebellion, the senior leadership did not oppose, as they too had long viewed the Kingdom as a rotting body, awaiting death. Perhaps a civil war would rejuvenate and bring new energy into the Kingdom.

However, nobody expected the kind of widespread death that soon wrapped the entirety of E-Libera. Adding to that was the strange weather that interrupted their observations intermittently.

Raymond returned to his chambers, and soon was joined by the Captain of the Black Scripture.

"I sent the updates to you, what views do you have, captain?"

"Strange."

"I know that."

"It's the time of the gods, isn't it?" The captain quipped.

"So you are saying this is an act of god?"

"Sounds like it, no?"

"Then we must set up a perimeter around it, if the gods are coming, we must be prepared." Raymond sighed, he considered the odds that these 'gods' would be friendly to humans, or whether they would be hostile. Such as the coming of the Eight Greed Kings brought great destruction to the entire new world, where all races suffered.

What would life under the new gods be? If the next era heralded the coming of gods, what should the Theocracy's move be, to ensure humanity's survival?

The Tree is a reminder of the 100-year advent, the coming of the great "typhoon".

"Necropolis is probably related. Somehow." The Captain wondered. "They might know something."

"I considered that, but we don't have very good relations with elves at this time." Raymond sighed, and considered the other theater of war facing the theocracy. That against the elven kingdom.

"Still, we should still send a delegate. They are a new nation that has gotten the recognition of the Kingdom, and if I'm not mistaken, the unwavering compliance of Marquis Boullope to the Treaty of Necropolis."

"Have we gotten the full details of the Treaty?"

"Yes." The Captain smiled. "That's why I think they know something."

"Hmm."

"Based on our smuggled copy of the treaty, the term requires Gazef Stronoff and Brain Unglaus of the Kingdom to participate in some kind of tournament."

"When and where is the tournament?"

"Not explained in the treaty, but Gazef and Brain is last seen in Necropolis, so I suspect sometime soon?"

"They could be there for various reasons, perhaps to obtain their assistance in the civil war? Or just for revenge!" Raymond considered, and he was joined by an adjutant, a young spectacled lady, who radiates intelligence. "Gazef is widely known for his unwavering loyalty to King Lamposa III, and so it may very well be just asking Necropolis for help in his revenge, perhaps add to it, that the treaty is at risk with Barbro in charge."

"I still find it strange that he turns to Necropolis for help." Raymond sighed, wondering why not the Theocracy. With some additional training, Gazef would be a decently powerful member of the Scriptures.

"There's more to their relationship, isn't it?" The adjutant considered.

"We must consider the possibility that whoever is behind this has infiltrated us as well." The Captain added.

Raymond suddenly thought of Narud. "Narud?"

"Possibly earlier than that. Whoever did this has incredible ability to hide themselves, and if they are people of the Gods, they may very walk amongst us now." The Captain stared at the adjutant, and she looked a little uncomfortable.

"Captain, what do you mean?"

"Nothing." The Captain smiled. "I've got to go attend some matchmaking session, again. See you." The Captain left, and Raymond then looked at the adjutant.

After a brief silence, Raymond prompted his adjutant to continue.

"What have you got to update me today. I've been getting bad news all the way since that cursed tree came out."

"I thought you loved bad news." The adjutant smiled.

"I love bad news that I can find solutions to." Raymond smiled back, and adjusted his seat. He started to look at the papers the adjutant soon placed to the table.

* * *

Ainz wanted to sigh, but all he could muster was a bone movement similar to sighing. The tonnes of reports from across the entirety of Nazarick's operations lay on his desk, including that of Necropolis. The reports has been mainly compiled by Albedo, with the assistance of the Elder Liches, and it would be not right, if he did not respect their effort.

This is his duty, as supreme leader of Nazarick. Though Wololo is present, he is just a regular member of Ainz Ooal Gown, and does not hold the position of guild leader.

"Hmm.. but why don't I delegate some of these reports to him?" Ainz looked back at the stack. "Maybe he would take it… But wouldn't that seem like work to him?"

Ainz diligently read the reports. "I'm glad I have unlimited stamina and endurance." If he was still human he would be yawning from exhaustion by now, and somehow the words just come into him like drinking water. It seemed speed reading was one of the few perks of being an undead overlord, allowing him to speed through the reports easily. Or maybe it was all that intelligence statistics that he had, he wasn't too sure.

"But should I still delegate some to Wololo? He is after all a member of Ainz Ooal Gown, and the duties of guild extend to all our members." Ainz wondered aloud. There was no one in the room to hear him, though there are a few guards and assassins outside.

Ainz sighed. Human to human relationships was something that bothered him greatly, disputes between guild members were common, but they were usually able to resolve them amicably, arising from their mutual love for the game and their guild.

In this world, everyone is real. Should he treat Wololo differently from the rest, because he is a "human"? Are the rest less so?

Ainz finished the reports. Putting them aside, he took out a small book from the tiny box, that sat inside another box.

"The guardians, they are bound by an unbroken loyalty to the guild…. But will one day, as humans often do, corrupted by power, stray and change?" Ainz sighed. They are immortals after all, an undead would not age.

And if they are trapped in this world forever, would they still remain friends?

"If one day I find other guild members, and they've changed… what would I do?" He mentally sighed, there was a deep sorrow that was building, but before it peaked it got cut off by his overlord ability of nullifying strong emotions.

The effect of his Overlord passive brought about a temporary silence.

"Maybe I should not worry about such matters now." He closed the book, putting it back to the tiny box. And carefully returned the tiny box to the larger box, and placed it inside an enchanted drawer.

He stood, and his staff floated to him. His bony fingers touched to golden exterior of the staff, and memories of his time in the guild swept through him.

"One thing at a time."


	24. Chapter 21

Hi! Sorry for the long gap, I've been working on a draft for some harem original fics, and catching up on some other stories on royalroadl, novelupdates and also Overlord V12.

* * *

Ainz looked at the magical mirror intently, watching the battle unfold before his eyes. He was surrounded by Wololo, and all the guardians.

On the mirror itself, they watched how a large army of wolves fought against the theocracy army. All of the guardians studied it intently, their minds trying to process the learning that Ainz-sama was trying to bestow them.

Albedo wondered what was Ainz's objective. It was quite obvious the wolves were no match for the army, and strong individuals that lead them. If it was her, she would have deployed a far stronger army. But this felt a bit like Cocytus's test earlier, when Ainz-sama wanted to see how he would have reacted.

" _But who is he testing? All of us?"_ She wondered, stealing glances at the reaction of the other guardians _. "How does this relate to the discovery of the Theocracy's world class item?"_

As the battle went on, the faces of the guardians changed. "Ainz-sama, what's the purpose of wasting these wolves on the theocracy?" It was Aura who finally found the courage to ask what's happening, it pained her as a beastmaster to watch so many wolves die for nothing.

Ainz turned and looked at them. "What do you think of the Theocracy?"

The guardians froze.

Albedo wondered whether it was a loaded question, was there something else that Ainz wanted them to say.

Shalltear seemed like she wanted to say something, but then she couldn't. In her mind, the Theocracy did her a great dishonor, and she wants to crush them with all her might. If she was the first to answer, would she repeat the mistake that caused her to be mind-controlled in the first place?

Cocytus wondered whether the wolves symbolised something, was it recklessness? Was it blind fury? Or did Ainz want to "keep" the theocracy as some kind of puppet state?

Demiurge pondered whether it was a rhetorical question, Ainz called them here for moment of learning, so this had to be it.

All the guardians took a while to consider Ainz's question, and so no one said anything for a good minute.

At that point, Ainz wondered whether he asked something really stupid. _Was it so bad that it was not worth their time answering?_ So he gulped, and held on. Unknowingly, his discomfort at the awkwardness that caused his aura to activate, and the pressure in the room intensified.

Aura and Mare was sweating, in their minds, it was no easy question. The pressure on their body signalled that he would be disappointed if they answered badly.

Eventually, Cocytus spoke. "The Theocracy… they are organised, and have good fighting tactics, but their response to the wolves was delayed. It showed that they are not used to fighting on their home ground. But we should not underestimate their power, they might be hiding their true strength."

Ainz nodded a little.

Demiurge then added. "So Ainz-sama's intention is to show us that the Theocracy is too arrogant that they are not prepared for a fight deep in their own capital, and that is an opportunity for us to exploit. If we strike hard and fast, we may catch them off guard."

"What if that's what they want us to do?" Albedo added. "Their delayed response might be planned. Our intelligence suggests they are a very well organised bureaucracy."

"Not all of it. Only the elite which is their Black Scripture. So that's the group we need to watch out for." Demiurge added.

"So we should have a special hit squad that targets the Black Scripture." Shalltear said. "I volunteer..."

"They have that Downfall of Castle & Country, what if they use it on you again?"

Shalltear sulked.

"It's a single target world class item, so it's useless if we use a mob of high level characters against them. We can use a swarm of level 70 monsters, and some ranged snipers from afar." Albedo proposed.

Ainz sighed. _This entire conversation went way too fast. I just wanted to know what they thought of the theocracy. I had thought they had an interesting model of governance. Maybe I shouldn't have asked this question when I show them this skirmish._

All the guardians instantly froze, and turned to face Ainz. They all kneeled, except Albedo who bowed.

"Apologies, Ainz-sama. We got carried away."

He waved his hand. "It's alright."

The guardians still kneeled.

"Anyway, I asked Wololo to send a group of wolves to get a sense of their military might. That's all there is to it."

"Wouldn't they suspect someone planned it?"

"I created a dungeon somewhere and made it spawn feral wolves. At most they'll just discover the dungeon and destroy it."

"Ah."

"Such things happen, do they not?"

"I.. I don't think so, Wololo-sama." Aura said. "A dungeon out of nowhere just rings all the alarm bells."

* * *

Along the shores of Necropolis, a huge statue loomed. It stood on a small standalone island, and it welcomed and warned of all who came by sea to the city that is Necropolis.

"What is that?" The merchant trader looked at the captain of the ship, who seemed unfazed by the towering statue.

"A statue to their god, supreme being Ainz Ooal Gown."

It stood, towering above the sea, like how the Statue of Liberty must have seemed to the ships who approached New York in the fog. It was easily 15 stories tall, his body seemed to glisten in the sun, probably made of some kind of silver. It had the face of an undead, a skull, every edge, every nook was carved onto the massive statue. its eyes glowed, pitch black with a large red center, seemingly made of some kind of giant ruby.

In his left hand, he held a staff, the staff of Ainz Ooal Gown, with it's many gems. it flashed like a lighthouse, sending a ray of light at regular intervals to mark its presence to the approaching ships. On his right, he held a pouch, seemingly signifying wealth, and a sign of welcome to those who wish to trade.

"Will that eye beam kill us?" The trader asked again, as those red eyes sent a ray of light that seemed to scan the seas.

"Probably not us, if we fly the correct flags. But I hear rumors from the elves that if an enemy navy was to appear in its shores, those eyes fire a magical destruction beam capable of instantly destroying any enemy navy vessel. But for now, it is just an identification ray. That staff is also the town's lighthouse."

The trader stared. He had never seen a statue so large in his life, and as the ship approached it, it seemed magnetic. His eyes could never leave how beautiful, and fearsome it appeared.

Then, a wraith floated over, it was like a typical wraith, except in its hand it held a flag, and the merchant trader instinctively reached for his weapon. A sailor quickly ran over and held his hand down.

"It's the port guide. Relax. He will guide us to our pier berth." The sailor said to the trader.

A wraith as a port guide?

The merchant trader gulped, swallowed his saliva. This is who they wanted to spy on? Is the Theocracy nuts?

The captain laughed at the merchant's pale expression. He had seen it many times, every time he agreed to take passengers or traders to Necropolis. They all had the same goal, make money by bringing their wares to a new growing country, but the sight of the might at display all sent their hearts and minds crazy.

Well, he had the same reaction when he first sailed here, but after so many hundreds of trips, he is now desensitized to it.

"Don't worry. If you do not attack, they will not harm you."

"I.. I can't believe that." His entire life, he was taught that undead were enemies. No exceptions.

"You theocracy traders need to get used to seeing more non-humans." The captain laughed. Well, it's easy to say in hindsight.

They quickly berthed, with a few golems then assisting to haul goods off the ship. It is an efficient process, with golems and wraiths aiding the disembarkation, with some of the elves providing supervision and talking to the captain to sort out the necessary documentation.

An elf would normally coordinate with the captain and traders where and how are the goods to be arranged.

The trader looked at the imposing presence of the statue that stood out in the sea, now facing it's back. It shone in the sun like a sea giant who stood on the water.

"So, what are you selling?" An elf asked, interrupting his concentration. He was dressed in some kind of uniform, and held a notepad in one hand. The notepad had all sorts of boxes, and seemed to be some kind of customs form.

"Household silverwares."

"Estimated value?"

"10,000 theocracy silvers."

"According to the schedule of goods, tax rate will 5% on your profit for household merchandise. You may pay either upfront using an estimated profit and settle the difference later at a preferential rate of 4%, or pay later when you depart."

"Ah. Later then. I need the cash now."

The elf handed him a copy of a form, denoting the details. "Please keep the form, it will be used when you leave. If you lose it there will be a fine."

The trader nodded, and he then made his way to the market, the few handlers who hauled the goods guided him there.

"Eh?! Isn't that Gazef?" The trader almost screamed out of his lungs. Gazef was standing with some young elves, no older than 15, and they fought with wooden swords.

The elf who was leading the horse carriages smiled. "Ah, Gazef-dono is a guest of Ainz-sama."

"What is he doing here?"

"I don't know much, but they say he is requesting for help to avenge his King's unnatural death. Ainz-sama has yet to agree to his request."

The trader nodded. This was something reportable to the theocracy, or maybe they already knew. But he had to come back with something, else he wouldn't get his pay.

Gazef seemed haggard, his walk a bit tired. He has grown increasingly restless, as Ainz refused to commit, to assist him in his revenge, but after hearing the massive destruction of E-Libera, he started to suspect that perhaps there was a bigger, more sinister plot or undercurrent at play. Maybe Brain was right after all, perhaps the gods are at war, and Ainz had to tread carefully.

Gazef and Brain had found temporary jobs in Necropolis, as sword-fighting trainers for fresh elven recruits, to pay for their temporary stay at Necropolis. At first, he wanted to refuse, but with the current civil war situation, and Gazef's terrible relationship with all the nobles, he really did not know where to go.

So here he was, a warrior-captain who had lost his way, and fled to another country for help in his desperation, after his king was slain by the underworld.

The trader couldn't resist seeing Gazef, so he walked over.

"It's an honor to finally meet you, Gazef Stronoff, the great warrior captain of the Kingdom."

"Eh? You are?" Gazef turned to face the visitor.

"I am trader from the Theocracy, my name is Patrik."

"Ah. Greetings, its quite a distance from the Theocracy to this place."

"It is not that bad, there is a river that runs to the seas, which then leads here. But, my purpose is not to just idle chatter."

"Oh?"

"Gazef, why are you here? I understand that your king has been slain, but of all countries to flee to, why did you choose here?"

Gazef paused.

"Why not the Empire, or the Theocracy?"

He sighed. "...Ainz Ooal Gown, he felt like a man I could trust to help me."

"Who is he?" This was a good opportunity to probe who is the ruler of this land, and Patrik took it.

"I… I don't know much. We met at Carne Village, when I encountered and fought some of your theocracy men, the Sunlight Scripture, who were trying to kill me. So yes, I could not go to the Theocracy, after their attempt on my life. The Empire with their constant war with us would also rather have me dead. So, here I am, seeking Necropolis's aid."

The trader froze. He did not know Gazef was attacked by Theocracy scripturemen. That was something he would ask once he got back to the Theocracy. Why did the Theocracy made an attempt at the warrior-captain's life?

"What.. what happened with the King, King Lamposa?"

"Eight fingers. That's all I am willing to tell you. I must get back to teaching these young kids now. Good day."

Gazef ignored him then, but the trader had gained some good information, so he left Gazef to his own matters and walked off.

The trader sat in his inn, he had briefly understood that Prince Barbro had colluded with the Eight Fingers to overthrow the King. That much was easily obvious, so Prince Barbro, who usurpted the throne, killed the reigning King of Re-estize faced the rebellion of his brother, Prince Zanac and also Marquis Raeven.

But what is Gazef and Necropolis's past relations? Was there more to it?

Who would know, and more importantly, who would talk?

* * *

At a time of great opportunity, the world threw a spanner into his plans. Emperor Jircniv looked at the map, and sighed.

Any army who wanted to march on the capitol of Re-Estize would have to go through E-Libera eventually.

A swift blitz, all the way to the capitol seemed attainable, with the civil war in full swing. He earlier calculated that the battle of E Libera would open up a great opportunity, as both sides were weak and vulnerable.

But the tree of death created a massive no go zone between the capital and the Empire. No army was willing to get anywhere near there. And if he could not get the capitol to swiftly establish victory, it was not worth it. The destruction of E-Libera also meant the loss of a valuable city, and had shifted his perception of Re-Estize as a target.

"Your majesty, the theocracy delegation is here." An attendant, knocked and came in.

"Great."

The Theocracy sent an official request to discuss the matter of the Re-Estize situation, but to him, it was proof that the Theocracy knew nothing about it, and also proof that they were keeping tabs on everyone, himself, the Emperor, included.

Still, an official delegation, led by a Cardinal. Every part of it is unusual, but the Empire welcomed it with open arms. How could the mighty Empire be unwilling to talk to a neighbouring nation, what more a Cardinal who made the long trip here.

For once, an above table discussion with the Theocracy, instead of covert dealings filled with code words and secret messages, which was how they usually did their affairs.

"Welcome Cardinal Ginedine."

"Indeed, it is my pleasure to finally meet you, young emperor." Truth was, the Emperor had spoke to the Cardinals covertly before, via secret intermediaries.

They sat in a large, poshly decorated meeting room. Flags of both nations were throughout the room, the full decorum upheld. This was a visit by a senior foreign national, and the room needed to look the part.

"Emperor Jircniv, lets get down to it. Have you heard of the new elvish country of Necropolis?"

"Yes, but I do not have much information beyond the official reports from the Kingdom, and the merchants."

Ginedine smiled. "Ah, let me volunteer some information. I am sure you are aware that the ruler of Necropolis is an undead elder lich?"

"Oh? I had the impression it was a beautiful lady."

"Ah, yes, the lady is the chief administrator, but the head of state is an elder lich by the name Ainz Ooal Gown."

"I see. You have come all this way to speak of a small elvish town on the borders of the Kingdom?" Jircniv was well aware of Necropolis, but with them so far away, and with their generally passive behavior and conduct, he had assessed the ruler to be someone who did not have expansionary desires. Or else, he would not have settled for a plot by the sea, and his undead armies would have expanded everywhere. If he was as powerful as they say he was, that's the only thing that made sense.

"Emperor Jircniv, I hear you are an intelligent man."

He laughed. "Not as intelligent as I hope and want to be, Cardinal Ginedine. But cut out the flattery, it does not work."

"I don't mean to flatter, but consider the coincidences. A new city and country emerges on the border of Re Estize. Re-estize then descends into civil war, and soon after that, a huge force of magic or nature was unleashed on Necropolis."

The emperor smiled, "You mean to say these are related and can be traced back to this Ainz Ooal Gown, and he has some kind of vendetta against the Kingdom?"

"Certainly sounds like it, no?" Cardinal smiled. "So, we are here to offer a cooperation agreement, not to wage war against Necropolis… but to get to the bottom of this."

"That's just an excuse, is it not? You plan to go against Necropolis one way or another, and you want to drag us along to help with our resources."

Cardinal Ginedine smiled, revealing his fake teeth. "That's not true at all. It is merely an investigation, to ensure that this new kingdom is not doing anything… unusual."

The emperor smiled. But the theocracy's dislike for non-humans is well known, and an ascendant elven country was a threat, what more with their current war with the other elvish country. The theocracy, to put it bluntly, is trying to borrow their military to crush this elven nation.

But why? The theocracy has equally strong military, and they have the famed Black Scripture at their disposal. Did something happen?

"Oh, I am surprised that the Theocracy requires our assistance, since the scriptures of the theocracy are legendary."

The emperor did not know of the destruction of the Sunlight Scripture, which was a tightly kept secret. Even more recently, the death of Kaire and a few ex-scripture members. Even though she could be revived, it seems her advanced age has made it extremely difficult, and they are still making the preparations required.

The Cardinal smiled. "We certainly can investigate on our own, but it would be better to take up the challenge together with another nation. Together, we can preserve the status quo."

 _So much bullshit_ , the emperor thought. "We would prefer if the investigation is done without our official participation. We certainly can supply some assistance, but at our terms."

The cardinal frowned. "Humanity's dominance is at stake. Does that not matter to you?"

Finally, something that sounds more like the truth. So this is what this was all about. A proposal to form a military union, to preserve humanity against non-humans.

* * *

"It's going to be a year now."

He sat, admiring the dark wooden furniture filled with carvings of monsters, gods and people, heavily influenced by Hindu or Balinese gods. It was a proof of his guildmate's attention to detail, to make such ornate items. Their guild has somehow attracted such obsessive personalities, and it really shows in their work. Such items would be fit in a temple, or a seaside resort.

The room was lit with sunlight from the sides, coming in through the wooden carvings that also served as the window grills. Their shadows created strange creatures on the ground.

"Yes. Where are you on the competition we agreed?"

"Not much progress, sadly. Busy with groundwork, exploring ruins, setting up mining networks, collecting subordinates, investigating and absorbing new dungeons."

"You sound like you have to forfeit this round, huh?"

"It seems so."

"I think 1 year is too fast. Training powerful warriors need longer than that, and I believe crafting high grade artifacts too need a lot of time." Ainz said. "We didn't think this through."

"It's an idea we got while lounging about at night after all." Wololo smiled, sipping a cup of coffee as a werewolf. It took a while, but he finally found a fruit that had the characteristics of coffee beans.

"Maybe you would have something if you didn't spend so much time with those plants. You spent too much time making that coffee machine and that coffee plant farm." Ainz laughed. "But if I had tastebuds, I'd drink it too."

"I just wanted authentic coffee, instead of the prepackaged one's we have in Nazarick. Those came default from Yggdrasil!"

"But the prepackaged one tastes better, I heard the maids say!" Ainz sighed. When his guildmates gets obsessed over something, it was best to just stay out of their way. He wondered whether this was one of the crazes where hippies crave authentic, home made coffee over manufactured, but obviously higher quality coffees.

"Well, I haven't gotten the refining process down! I will get there. Besides, Yggdrasil coffee was made awesome by default, you can't even reverse engineer it! It's made artificially by a combination of codes, like genetically engineered food!"

"Yes yes. So, the competition, should we change the terms?" Ainz didn't want to go down the rabbit hole that was coffee.

"The guardians won't like it. Demiurge, Cocytus might feel that we let them down if we don't use that massive coliseum they built for us."

The two supreme beings sigh. There was a real pressure to live up to their guardian's over the top expectation of them. After all, they really gave their all to build that place.

"We can put on a show. Maybe… get the humans fight some monsters?"

"Did you find any interesting monsters? I have giant undead, a couple of undead wyrms and a few bone dragons."

"I have a frost giant. And a sea serpent. And some treants. Giant bugs as well."

"Oh, battle of the monsters. Sounds like kiddy show, when heroes fight monsters."

"Let's get the humans to fight with the monsters."

"That sounds like a reality show. Man Versus Beast?"

"You mean like forcing the humans to survive two fighting monsters?" Wololo laughed.

"That sounds fun. Dodge the monster attacks?"

Wololo paused a while. "The theocracy thing is still bothering us though. Should we do this first or that?"

"How deep is your spies? Didn't you say you wanted to infiltrate them first? Or lure them out with the Catastrophe Dragon Lord's revival?" Ainz smiled.

"Deep enough. It won't be long before I know when their sacred treasures are taken out."

"Then we wait our time. Vengeance requires careful planning, especially one that has caused us to kill our own." Ainz nodded. "In the meantime, we can put on some entertainment for our followers, no? As leaders we need to keep morale high."

"Entertainment, eh?"

* * *

That's it!


	25. Thank You

Just wanted to say thanks for all the support so far. It's really been unbelievable, and the overlord community has been really amazing.

I'm stopping this fanfic here because :

1\. Writing overlord is really hard. Nazarick on it's own has so many wonderful characters that I frequently found myself wondering what's Wololo's purpose other than a self insert (which it was, at the start).

2\. I had no end in mind. As a fanfic that I started because I loved overlord so much, I wrote it because I wanted to, but as some reviewers rightly pointed out, I didn't have anything planned. It got better as certain points, but I struggled to incorporate the guardians into the story, without them stomping over everything.

3\. Life and work is really taking a toll. Being a parent is hard work, and I realised I can't commit to this as much as I liked.

Once again, thank you. It's been a pleasure writing for all of you.


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